Knight In Silver Armour
by BANIX
Summary: My name is Noelle, but this story isn't about me! It is about my awesome big brother! I am speaking on his behalf since he doesn't like to talk. Like at all! But he is my knight in silver armour! And he is the BEST. BIG. BROTHER. EVER! (Reincarnated OC as Nozel Silva)
1. Chapter 1- The Silva House

"There you are again."

Acier Silva said with a huff that is a mixture of exasperation and fondness. She walked up to her eldest child and gently shepherd him away from the family's personal training ground where he is training himself ragged.

"You need to take a break and act more like a child, Nozel. Go and play with your siblings!"

"They are boring and irritating." Nozel said in a bland voice that lacks any form of emotion. "All they do is to prance around showing off our status as royals. What a disgrace. They never liked me anyway. The feeling's mutual."

"Nozel." Acier said worriedly and is deciding on whether she should reprimand her eldest. "This is not the way to talk about your siblings."

Nozel simply gave a shrug that made her release a resigned sigh.

Out of all her three children, Nozel is the one that she doesn't need to worry about the most but yet also the one that she will fuss over more. He is too mature and smart for his age, almost to the point that he seems like an adult in a child's body waiting for his body to grow and catch up to his mind. He is very reserved individual, preferring silence and isolation over any human contact. Things that other children his age do bores him, so he ended up passing the time on his hands by training relentlessly in his magic and physical capabilities, saying that magic fascinates him more than anything else. Acier wouldn't have need to worry about him so much if he acted more like a child his age should rather than a mini adult.

Her husband, on the other hand, do not share the same views as her. When Nozel first exhibits such "genius" behaviours, he is merely happy that his eldest son is a prodigy, saying that he is the one that will lead the Silva house to greater heights. But lately, Nozel has been acting against her husband's wishes with his differing view of nobles and royalty, openly stating how much he despises those that abuse their status as one. Little did her husband know that Nozel have no desire to be the future Head of the house whatsoever, Nozel had confided that much to her. She is the only one in the family in which Nozel will willingly talk to.

It pains her heart that her child does not feel like he is a part of their family. Even as his mother, she doesn't know why he felt this way. What did she and her husband do wrong in raising him? Why does he have trouble viewing them as his family? Sure, Nebra and Solid are also infected with the so very prevalent '_nobles-are-always-better-than-commoner_' foolish mindset among nobles and royalty, but surely that isn't enough for Nozel to dislike them to this extent?

"Mother, will you show me more of your spells?"

"Only if you promise me to stop training so hard. You need to learn how to relax and socialise. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought that you are preparing for war." Acier pinched Nozel's nose playfully as she said those words, prompting him to scowl at the action but made no moves to stop her. This made Acier's heart a little lighter, at least he really views her as his mother from how he allows her to fuss over him. She couldn't say the same for Nozel and her husband. The way they interact with each other is more like a master-servant relationship than of father and son.

She will have words with her husband later about the proper way to treat their children, but right now she just wants to spend some time with her eldest.

"Better to be a warrior in a garden in times of peace than to be a gardener on a battlefield in times of war." Nozel grumbled out as he let himself get pushed around by her into his bedroom.

"Wow! My little Nozel had grown to be a wise little old man! He even has quotes of wisdom of his own! You will make such a good Magic Knight!"

"Why will I want to be a Magic Knight?" Nozel scoffed as Acier planted him onto a chair and began to comb his messy hair for him. "It's a thankless job. Why will I risk my life to save people that I barely knew about?"

"It's not something that I can teach you." Acier admitted. "It's something that you have to experience for yourself, what it means to be a Magic Knight. You can deny all you want, but I know that you have the strongest desire to serve the country as a Magic Knight out of all your siblings. Out of the three of you, you have the strongest desire to help bring about a better change for our people. I am your mother, Nozel. I know what you truly feel. I know that you have a desire to help others. Deep down, you are a kind person."

"You mean we all have to become Magic Knights because we are the _Silva house_. Generations of us are Magic Knights since our ancestor's time and so going by that logic, we all have to be Magic Knights as well." Nozel answered sarcastically, purposely making his voice drier than usual.

"To even have these negative thoughts means that you are more than ready to be a Magic Knight." Acier can't help but say with a smile. "You will be a splendid Magic Knight, I'm sure of it."

"Don't get your hopes up, Mother. The higher the expectation, the bigger the disappointment. Father is already very disappointed in me and it will only get worse."

"No matter what, he is your father and you his son, Nozel." Acier can't help but let her frown show on her face. "No matter what he does or say, that will never change."

The look on her son's face told her that he does not think the same way. Oh well, he will understand in time when he is older.

"Look! Look how handsome you are after I styled your hair for you!" Acier purposely gushed out exaggeratedly to lift the otherwise dreary mood. "Women will be throwing themselves at you the moment you become an adult!"

"Mother, with all due respect." Nozel visibly took a deep breath to calm his nerves before continuing. "This hairstyle is… undesirable."

And by that, he meant the braid that Acier had purposely styled to hang between his eyes and down to the tip of his nose. She knows this looks a little ridiculous, but Nozel needs something to help him stand out!

"But it's so unique! My little boy will now be remembered by everyone that met him!"

"I'm undoing it the moment you step out of this room."

"Nozel!"

Even after much assurance on Nozel's part that he will not style his hair in such a 'stupid manner' _(in his own words, not hers_), Acier can't help but let joy fill her heart when Nozel continues to use the same hairstyle from the next day onwards, and the day after that, and the day after the next, and for as long as she can remember, Nozel will continue to style his hair in this manner.

All because she, his mother, had styled it for him and asked him to keep that hairstyle.

* * *

"Ah, you will be having your Grimoire Acceptance Ceremony next year!" Acier said contently. Where did all the time go? One moment Nozel is just a baby and in the blink of an eye, he is old enough to attend the Grimoire Acceptance Ceremony. Before she knows it, Nebra and Solid will be the same too.

They all grow up so fast.

"Your mother is looking forward to what kind of magic you will get!"

"Definitely something that has a connection with the steel quality of your magic." Nozel said without missing a beat and Acier really wants to stand on her feet right now to purposely coo at her eldest in an exaggerated manner, just to publicly embarrass him for the fun of it. She is his mother! To embarrass him is part of the job description!

Alas, the fact that she is pregnant with her fourth child and unable to even see her toes made that impossible. She can barely waddle as it is.

"Well, Nebra and Solid both took after your father's Water Magic and I have a feeling this one is the same as well." Acier said with a gentle smile on her face as one of her hands unconsciously rest on her bloated tummy. "Like you said, you are the only one who can inherit the steel quality of my magic. Use it to protect your siblings, ok?"

Nozel's expression is as unreadable as ever, but Acier is sure that she just caught a glimpse of sadness in his eyes. Why?

"Nozel?"

"I… I will, mother." Nozel managed a response as his gaze trailed down to her stomach. "I'm not too sure about Nebra and Solid since I cannot stand both their presence as they cannot stand mine, but I will try my best to ensure the safety of my unborn sibling. I promise."

"You need to learn how to get along with people, Nozel." Acier chided good-naturedly. "I know you and Fuegoleon are good friends, but you also need friends other than him."

"I guess Mereoleona counts too, no matter how noisy and crazy she is."

"And you need to get along with your father."

"His old rigid way of thinking is simply foolish." Nozel scoffed. "Why will I want to follow in his footsteps of self-destruction?"

"Nozel-"

"Being a royal isn't everything, mother." Nozel argued back. "With how us ruling class have been treating the commoners, I am surprised that they haven't staged a coup yet. At this rate, the Kingdom's downfall is just a matter of time. I am not risking my life to defend such a corrupt country with equally corrupt leaders heading it."

"Nozel, that is _your_ _father_ that you are insulting right there." Acier reprimanded sternly. Why did every conversation with Nozel regarding his father or politics ended up like this? "You need to watch your mouth."

"… I'm sorry, mother."

"And your apology is accepted." Acier let her smile reappear as she gestured for Nozel to give her a helping hand to aid her in her endeavour to stand up from her chair. Her eldest did so immediately.

"Do you want a younger sister or brother?"

"Sister." Nozel answered immediately. "Just one Solid is enough to drive me up the wall. I don't need another one, and especially not one with the same insufferable attitude as him."

"And you are sure this one won't?" Acier teased playfully. Trying to get a reaction out of her eldest is a fun thing to do in itself.

"I know that she will be different. If need be, I will personally see to it that she doesn't end up the same as Nebra or Solid."

"You sound so confident that your newest sibling will be a sister."

"Call it instinct."

Acier let out a laugh which managed to get a smile out of Nozel. She knows Nozel likes to see her smile and hear her laughter in this cold unforgiving mansion. Being born into a royal house is not all sunshine and rainbows like everyone think it is. Being a noble has its own set of responsibilities and downsides too. Even more so for royals like them, who are charged with ruling the Clover Kingdom and ensuring the Kingdom's safety.

"You… will you be alright, mother?" Acier was a little alarmed when she caught the very carefully concealed worry in Nozel's voice. "This pregnancy wouldn't have any complications, right? The process of childbirth, I mean."

"This is not the first time I have undergone it." Acier pulled on Nozel's ear as he let her have her way. "Have a little faith in your mother. I'm not going to just up and die like that. Besides, your father had found several respectable mages who are proficient in Healing magic to lend their aid if need be. Your sibling and I will be fine."

Nozel remained silent, but Acier knows that he is still worried for her.

"I promise, Nozel. Remember how I told you a Captain doesn't go back on their words? I _am_ a Captain, you know? I will live till I become a grandmother and see you have cute little kids of your own."

Nozel smiled, so she counted that as a win. Acier is sure that Nozel will be a very good older brother to her youngest. He already is.

"I will hold you up to it, mother."

* * *

"B-Big brother?"

"Noelle."

Noelle watched as her oldest brother walked towards her and sat down on the ground beside her. Only he knows where to go to find her whenever she is feeling down. Only he knows to head for the family's garden to find her whereas the rest of the house's servants will search frantically within the huge mansion for her. If they actually bothered to spend their energy to look for a defect like her, that is.

"Don't take their words to heart. The whole lot of them are idiots, there's no point in reasoning with them."

Noelle giggled as Nozel gave her a comforting pet on her back.

"Thank you, big brother."

"No problem, that's what a big brother does anyway."

The both of them sat in silence as they watched their mother's grave. Her tomb is made up of the finest steel, a tribute to the magic she wielded. The elegant sculptures and engravings on it spoke volumes on the craftsmanship needed to even build something as beautiful as her tomb. Their father had wanted to build the most fitting resting place for their mother. She deserves only the best.

She had killed her mother. Her mother had died giving birth to her. For as long as she can remember that was what she was told and constantly reminded about. Their mother's death was almost five years ago. However, nobody had told her in detail about her mother. It is an unspoken taboo in their family to speak about her. Her other two siblings blame her for her death and her father simply walked away when she so much as asked. The fact that she is a defect as a mage, a _stain_ on her family, isn't helping matters too.

That leaves Nozel as the only person to ask about her mother. _Their_ mother. The last time she asked him, he had gone silent for a while before saying that "you look a lot like her" and excused himself.

From what a long-time servant of her house had once told her in private, her oldest brother was very close to their mother before her death. Their mother also favoured him the most out of her siblings whereas it was, and still is, the opposite for their father. Their mother's death had hit Nozel hard. The first reaction Nozel had upon learning the news of their mother's death was not outright grief or disbelief. According to the servant who was there to witness the scene, Nozel had only spoke one sentence before cooping himself up in his room for days until he was forced to come out to attend his mother's funeral. According to that servant, this was the only thing that Nozel had said upon learning their mother's death.

_'You broke your promise, mother.'_

Despite that, she needs to know. She _wants_ to know. She _deserves_ to know about her mother just like her siblings. Nozel wouldn't be too angry if she asked him about their mother, right? He had always been there for her. He is different from their father and her other siblings.

"W-What was mother like?"

As expected, that question took Nozel off guard as he looked at her in surprise. It made Noelle curl up into herself. She had just screwed up, didn't she?

When Nozel raised his hand, she closed her eyes in fear. She knew that posture. It is the same one her father and her other two older siblings took before they gave her a beating for being a defect followed by demeaning insults. The beatings were always worse when Nozel isn't around to help defend her.

She opened her eyes in surprise when the hand merely ruffled the hair on the top of her head fondly.

"You look a lot like her."

"R-Really?" Noelle whispered out as she timidly raised her head to meet Nozel's gaze.

"Yes. You are a spitting image of our mother, it is why no one in the family looks at you in the eye. Seeing you brings back memories that we are not yet ready to cope with. I'm sorry, Noelle. I haven't been much of a good older brother, am I?"

"That's not true!" Noelle exclaimed out before she can think. "You are always there for me! You don't see me as a defect!"

"You are _not_ a defect." Nozel corrected her sternly. "Our father and siblings are simply blind to your potential. You can be so much more, Noelle. I have no doubts that you will be one of the strongest Magic Knights our house and the Kingdom will ever birth. Never doubt yourself."

"But I cannot control my magic…"

"Because you are blessed with an immense amount of magic power. The larger the power, the harder it is to control. That is why I believe that you will grow to be extremely strong in the future when you finally learn how to master and refine your magic. You are too kind, Noelle, just like our mother. Your hesitance to hurt others made it a lot harder for you to control your magic. You do need to be more confident in your abilities though. Mother had confidence in spades."

Noelle leaned in against her brother as he spoke, who shifted his body to block out the cold night breeze blowing at her in the garden. He caught her attention when he flicked the braid of hair hanging in between his eyes with a finger.

"I never told you why I styled my hair in this stupid manner, did I? Our mother's the culprit."

Noelle raised her head in curiosity. Now _that_ is something she wants to hear.

"Well, I kept it this way because she enjoys seeing me style my hair in this manner for reasons unknown. End of story."

"Big brother! That's not how you tell stories!"

And as she continues to whine and act like the child that she is, Noelle cannot help but smile again as her mood lifted. This is her eldest brother, the one who had never failed to protect and keep an eye out for her when her entire family had casted her aside. He was the one that personally took care of her even when she was an infant, even going so far as to personally changing her diapers from what the servants had told her. He did not have to do that. He is from a royal family, and the eldest son too. The servants could have done the unpleasant job.

She is also the reason why he hasn't enlisted into the Magic Knights yet even if Noelle knows that he can easily beat most Knights without difficulty. He will be the _most awesomest_ Magic Knight and she knows that she is right. Her brother is just that strong. The only reason why Nozel didn't enlist as a Magic Knights even after close to five long years is because he knows that being a Magic Knight is a full-time job. He wouldn't be around at home much to protect her from her other siblings and their father. He acts as if he isn't keen on being one, saying that he has close to no hope for the state of the country thanks to the arrogant behaviour of their fellow members of the ruling class. She knows better. Whatever actions he took are always because of her. To him, her well-being always comes first.

However, Nozel's reason for not being a Magic Knight infuriates their father, who doesn't like his authority to be challenged, undermined, or worse, insulted. It had soured their father-son relationship even further and her other two siblings had scorned Nozel as well. It isn't just him not acting like a Silva, but also his views on how nobles and royals should act and carry themselves. Nozel openly told their father that how he treats his subjects and commoners will one day bring ruin to the Kingdom and to their house. He had told their father and their siblings that given the way most of their Kingdom's nobles are acting right now, the Kingdom's downfall is all but certain. It is just a matter of time.

Their father and Nozel had fought after that. It was the biggest battle fought in their grounds as far as anyone could remember. Nozel had put up a good fight and he had made their father work for it, but he had ultimately lost.

But he was _so close_. He was so close to winning that battle. Had their father not pulled out an extremely strong magical artefact to secure his win, the outcome of that battle might have been different.

Nozel had totally lost favour with their father after that battle. Their father had never talked to him after that big fight and Nozel had never approached him unless necessary. Nozel still goes on missions as a member of the Silva house when the need arises, but otherwise he will spend his free time training, exploring newly emerged dungeons, or simply walking around the city in the Royal Capital doing his own thing. Their father had lost all hope in Nozel to the extent that he did not bug Nozel to enlist into the Magic Knights anymore.

Where Noelle is a defect, Nozel is an outcast. And Nozel's status in their family had worsened all because of her.

It is all her fault.

But that's all the more reason to do her best in training her magic, to show the world that her eldest brother is right and the rest of them are wrong. If not for herself, then at least for him. She will be five years old this year, she still has time. She will be the best sister for her eldest brother, because despite how he thinks otherwise, he had always been the best brother she can ask for. Whereas other princesses have their knight in shining armour, she has a knight in silver armour in the form of her eldest brother. His Mercury Magic is just so pretty.

To her, her eldest brother will always be her true family.

* * *

**AN: I have been recently addicted to the Black Clover fandom ever since I decided to continue reading the manga from where I left off about more than a year back. I found myself hooked to the story and when I finally caught up to the newest chapter, I turned to fanfics to satisfy my craving for more stories regarding the BC fandom. Imagine my surprise when I found a serious lack of BC stories on FFnet. **

**And so, I decided that I might as well try my hand in writing one.**

**It is something that I would not have done under usual circumstances since BC is still in the early stages and there is no telling how the story will progress. This story will very likely derail from canon early on because canon itself is still in the developing stages. There is a lack of information about the world of BC which is not helping me in regard to my attempt to write a fanfic about it. I will try to stick to canon facts as much as possible, but I will probably have to assume or make up some facts of my own due to the lack of information on some critical areas in the BC fandom. I myself am expecting a huge deviation from canon the further this story progresses.**

**This story was inspired when I first had a thought. '_What if Noelle didn't grow up in such an oppressive family? How much stronger could she be? What if she had some form of support from another?' _The idea of writing an OC reincarnated as Nozel was my answer to this question.**

**I spent at least three days rushing out seven chapters and then half a day deciding if I should post this story. After all, I already have too many stories to juggle with and I haven't been updating some of the existing ones for quite some time because I am currently obsessed in trying to write new interesting stories, which I had subsequently scrapped every single one of them and threw into a folder I created. In my opinion, these new stories I had tried creating are half-baked failed attempts that did not live up to my expectations. I am just not satisfied with them. I was very tempted to just do the same for this story. In the end, I decided to give this story a go, just to see if this story can make the cut. **

**In any case, presenting to you, Knight In Silver Armour. As usual, I hope you enjoy this story.**


	2. Chapter 2- Fallout

"Happy birthday, Noelle."

"Thank you, big brother!" Noelle plastered the biggest smile on her face. Nozel is the only one who gave her sincere wishes on her birthdays instead of customary ones given by the rest of the family. He had always put in a lot of thought for the presents he bought for her, unlike the ones given by the others. They probably just bought whatever is the most convenient for them for the occasion.

"Go on, unwrap the present."

Upon her brother's encouragement, Noelle eagerly teared into the little box wrapped up in shining wrapping paper. Without further ado, she opened the box.

"A wand?"

"Using one can help you with learning how to control your magic better. Until you reach the point where you no longer need a wand to help control your magic, you will need it. Happy fifth birthday, Noelle."

Noelle returned her thanks with the most enthusiastic hug she can manage, prompting a chuckle from Nozel.

"Get off me, you little monkey."

"Never!"

"What do you say if we go and test the wand out right now?"

"Yay! Let's go, let's go!"

"Look at little Noelle, so happy that she finally got a _wand_ as a present. A _true royalty_ wouldn't need that kind of _crutch_. Even the lower nobles can do so much better than you."

Noelle winced and instinctively hid herself partially behind Nozel upon hearing Nebra's condescending words. Her older sister walked towards them from the corridor, that look of scorn is still in her eyes.

"Nebra, get lost."

"Shut up, _outcast_." Nebra hissed at Nozel, who took it without flinching or any indications about his feelings on this matter. "You have no right to speak here. You are not a Silva. You don't act like one."

"Just as you have no right to speak to Noelle in this manner. Apologise to her, now."

"And what are you going to do if I don't?" Nebra taunted in a mocking voice.

"Nothing. But mother will be disappointed in you if she sees this."

"**_Don't_** speak about mother!" Nebra's outburst got Noelle to fully hide herself behind her brother for protection. Nebra repeatedly jabbed an angry finger at Nozel's chest as her harsh words came spewing out from her mouth.

"It is all the _defect's_ fault that our mother died! You, a heartless monster, have no right to go speaking about our mother! You didn't even shed _a single tear_ at her funeral!"

"Do **_not_**." Nozel's patience seemed to have thinned as well when the magical pressure around him got denser and pressed down at Nebra, who is now forced to kneel on the floor and gasping for air at the sudden suffocating sensation. On the other hand, Noelle found herself unharmed even if she can feel the tension in the air. Just how skilled is her brother in manipulating mana for her to remain unharmed while standing so close to him?

"Do **_not_** assume I do not feel sadness simply because I do not show it outwardly. I was the closest to mother out of the three of us. Your biggest flaw is that you are always too quick to judge, Nebra. Curb that bad habit before it becomes your downfall. Apologise to Noelle, **_now_**."

"What is the meaning of this?!"

The appearance of their father got Nozel to rein in his magic, turning everything back into normal. Their father took one look at the gasping Nebra before looking at Nozel, already piecing the clues together.

"Nozel, I am disappointed in you. As the eldest son, I never expected you to lay a hand on your sibling."

"So Nebra and Solid insulting, and even physically abusing Noelle is acceptable?" Nozel scoffed. "You must be getting senile in your old age, father."

"You-!" Their father visibly restrained himself against lashing out at Nozel with his Water Magic, who in comparison, only raised an eyebrow at their father's behaviour.

"I have _enough_ of this attitude of yours and of Noelle's failure! Get out of my sight, the both of you. Out! OUT!"

"With pleasure, father. Have a good day."

Even before she can react, Noelle found herself scooped up into her brother's protective arms as he walked towards the door without delay.

"Mother would have been disappointed in all of us, father." Nozel's sudden pause in his exit and the words he spoke caught everyone's attention. "She wouldn't have wanted us to fight like this, nor would she stand for anyone calling Noelle a defect."

"_Don't_ talk to me about your mother _in my presence_." Their father gritted out. "You _know_ this topic is taboo in the house. I have enough of your antics ever since you are old enough to speak your mind freely. I am **_this_** close to disowning you." Their father raised his right hand, the extremely small gap between his thumb and index finger further emphasising his last point. "You were extremely lucky I didn't kill you where you stand the other time we fought. It was the memories I have about your mother that I stayed my hand. Do **_not_** test my patience any further than this."

"I am merely stating my own observations and things that I know as facts." Nozel replied blandly. "If you do not want to listen, fine. But you shouldn't drag Nebra and Solid into your line of thinking. Commoners are not any lesser than nobles or royals. The current supremacist thinking among the ruling class will potentially bring the whole of Clover Kingdom to ruin one day."

"NOZEL!" Their father bellowed as his own magical pressure rose uncontrollably in rage at having his authority indirectly challenged and insulted. "I **WON'T** STAND FOR SUCH INSOLENCE! DO YOU WANT ME TO REALLY DISOWN YOU?!"

"The only reason I am staying here is because of Noelle and the promise I made with mother." Nozel stated in his usual matter-of-fact demeanour but there is no mistaking the budding fury in his tone. "She broke her promise to me, but I intend to keep my promise to her nonetheless. Your threats mean nothing to me, _father_. You had never been a father to _me_ anyway, seeing me as just another tool for you to use and show off."

Solid had appeared by now to see just what is going on, but he had wisely hidden himself behind a pillar to escape the volatile situation, opting to observe from afar instead.

"_You_ had never been a son to _me_." Their father spat out. "You are a _freak_, that's what. I should have killed you the moment you are born."

"I had wished for that, actually. It would have saved me so much trouble."

Noelle's brain halted for a moment. Her eldest brother had thought of **_what_**?!

"Nozel Silva, you really have a death wish, don't you?"

"Mother had always told me that I am indeed a tad bit suicidal." Nozel seemed as cool as a cucumber even with the amount of pressure he is facing. He adjusted his hold on Noelle so that he can easily hold her with just a single arm just as his own Grimoire appeared when their father's one did.

"You don't want to do this, father. Think about what mother would say."

Noelle had really thought that those words was the last straw before their father erupted like a volcano. Of _all_ things, must Nozel bring up the topic of their mother _again_?!

Unexpectedly, their father gradually called off his magic and slowly pointed a shaky finger towards the door.

"You are no son of mine. I have no need of a son who does nothing but play babysitter to a defect all day long. I have no use of a son that does nothing but undermine my authority. As of today, you are no longer a member of the royal houses. You are no longer a Silva. _Get **out**_."

Nozel's slight widening of his eyes is the only indication of his surprise, but he recovered just as quickly.

"I had high hopes for you, Nozel. You were supposed to be the future head of the Silva house. You disappoint me."

"As do you to me, father."

Nozel slowly let Noelle down from his arm as she watched on helplessly, unable to do a thing as he patted her on the head one last time with a forced smile.

_No, please, don't let her eldest brother leave!_

She tried to form words, but whatever she wanted to say got stuck in her throat.

"Allow me to say just one last thing."

"Speak."

"The person that we had all disappointed is mother." Nozel said softly as his hand left her head and he turned around to face their father. "I can still remember the times when she told me she is going to spoil Noelle rotten when she was pregnant with her. Yet, you, Nebra, and Solid disregarded her wish and her sacrifice. Mother had sacrificed her life to bring Noelle into this world. Your actions have clearly shown that you have no idea what mother truly wished for."

And that was the last straw for their father, who finally snapped and lost his mind.

A huge vortex of water was sent hurtling her way like a raging spear and is getting closer, _closer, and **closer**_ to her as she can do nothing but watch their father's spell come at her like an unstoppable arrow. She screamed as her own magic fluctuated in response and instinctively formed a dome of water around her to protect their wielder, but it obviously won't be enough against a mage of their father's calibre.

She is going to die here.

She continued screaming even when she felt herself getting whisked away as someone grabbed her and pulled her out of the spell's trajectory. Her eldest brother's soft voice whispering reassurances to her as he held her close and told her that she is _safesafesafe_ and that he will never let anything harmful befall on her.

"**_This_**, is a new low even for **_you_**, **_father_**."

Nozel's words, which are now dripping in venom even more poisonous than the mercury he controls, had taken everyone aback. Their father had snapped back to sanity upon the words and Noelle thinks that he finally realised the severity of the action that he had just done.

He had just tried to kill her. _His child_.

"The Silva name is that important to you? Outdoing the other royal houses and noble families is all you care about? Your stupid _pride_ is more important than anything else? That stupid pride weighs more than even _your_ _own daughter_?" Nozel hissed like a snake as his other hand grabbed the necklace he wore around his neck and yanked it off a second later. The symbol of their house rests in his palm and Nozel took a last look at it.

And then he threw it like discarded trash.

The round symbol of the Silva house fell off its metal chain and rolled towards their father before coming to a stop at their father's feet.

"N-Nozel, I-"

"**_Save it_**. I don't want to hear anything from you just as you abhor hearing my voice. You want to treat me as if I don't exist? Fine. You want to disown me? Whatever, I don't give a damn about stupid royal pride anyway. But _NOELLE IS YOUR **DAUGHTER** GODDAMN IT_!"

And this is the first time her ever supportive and patient brother had raised his voice. The brother who has the patience of a saint.

"You are obviously not fit to be a father and this is no place for Noelle to grow up in. I'm taking her with me. At least I won't try to _kill_ her."

"Nozel-" Their father tried to explain, his words fumbling and his hands stretched out hesitantly. But like their father, her eldest brother had also finally snapped after so many years of bottling up his emotions. The culmination of the problems he had with the family ever since their mother passed away finally reared its big ugly head.

Maybe it is because she is a bystander so she can see with greater clarity, but Nozel and father are more alike than they liked to admit. They both have a nasty temper when angered.

"From now on, Noelle and I are no longer of the Silva house. Congratulations, you finally rid yourself of the defect and the outcast. We can no longer bring shame to the house."

"Big brother!" Solid, only eight years old this year, had finally mustered out the courage to step out from his hiding place and shakily walked up to them, still in disbelief at what had happened.

"You are the man of the house now, Solid. The _future head of the house_. I am disappearing for good, just as you had told me that you wished for me to do so many times before. You should be happy."

"N-No, I-I-"

"Do not try to find us, because we do not want to see the three of you ever again." Nozel's sharp and furious gaze locked with their father's as his mercury swirled around him and Noelle dangerously. However, Noelle knows that her brother's magic will never harm her.

"I have enough of being a Silva. I have enough of Noelle being mistreated. She deserves much better than this. Do not send anyone after us, because I _will_ **_slaughter_** anyone that do so. Mark my words."

"NOZEL!"

Whatever words her father had wanted to say Noelle would never know, for her only family left had brought her out of the oppressive mansion in the next second with his magic. The two of them rode on the silver eagle he conjured and for the first time, Noelle experienced how liberating it is to be able to fly in the vast skies.

They are finally free.


	3. Chapter 3- A Year

"Big brother! Did you see that? I dismantled the traps in that dungeon room alone! All by myself!"

"Yes, I saw. Good job, Noelle. You had really improved."

Noelle beamed in pride as her older brother ruffled her hair like he always does while praising her. The both of them slowly made their way towards the exit of the dungeon. Her brother is carrying a large cloth sack over his shoulder that holds all the treasures that they had found in this dungeon. They had already been here for close to three days and it is time they head back up.

It had also almost been a year since they both discarded the Silva name and were exiled from the royal houses.

She will admit that she was afraid after the fact that they are no longer royalty finally sank in. However, her big brother was there. With him around, things will always be alright. He had accumulated a small fortune with his own strength in the years before the falling out they had with their father. Even before he relinquished the Silva name, he is a skilled treasure hunter and sometimes their father will send him out on solo missions to conquer newly discovered dungeons despite their previously rocky relationship. Usually, such missions are to find and bring back anything of worth to be added into the treasure vault of the Silva house before the Magic Knights got wind of the dungeon's existence. Since these are missions for the Silva house and they are not technically breaking the law, her big brother had undertaken it without complaints. After all, the unofficial rule regarding dungeons is that the early bird catches the worm. The fastest to conquer the dungeon will have first dibs on the treasures within it no matter who accomplished the act.

Till date, there is no dungeon that Nozel cannot conquer. With his skills, he had secretly amassed a sizable wealth for themselves even before that incident, so that they need not worry for their immediate future. That wealth had only grown since then.

Noelle can see why her brother enjoys conquering dungeons despite the danger it holds. It is so much fun! The rewards are just as great and satisfying too!

Nozel had always brought her along in their treasure hunting quests although it is a dangerous thing to do. Even Magic Knights have to explore dungeons in groups to ensure their survival and yet her brother can simply waltz in and out of the dungeon by himself with ease. On top of that, he has to spare some of his attention to keep an eye on her energetic self when he brings her along. He doesn't trust anyone else to take care of her in his absence.

Going treasure hunting had allowed her to learn many things, things that she can never learn by getting herself cooped up in the Silva house. She learnt how to survive in the wild. She learnt how to spot traps and how to navigate in unknown terrains. She learnt the different cultures of the different places in the Clover Kingdom. She learnt how to apply the theory about magic and mana she was taught, which showed her the difference between theories and what actually happens when you put those theories into practice. Some things do go the way she expected it to be. Others, not so much.

All of these were taught to her by her big brother. In less than twelve months, he taught her more than what she had learnt when she lived in the Silva mansion. He had said that for her case where she is currently unable to tame her immense power, experience is the best teacher.

Her big brother is a good teacher.

Noelle didn't particularly miss anyone or anything from the Silva house. After all, she was only _five_ when they both got disowned by that man she used to call 'father'. They had never heard about him since then and they never bothered to. Why will they do so when they are so much happier now?

Noelle also knows that she is a lot smarter and mature than other kids her age. And while she doesn't have a photographic memory, her brain is able to retain a lot more knowledge than her peers. Her brother had also never restricted her to learning advanced knowledge as long as she can keep up with it. He will patiently sit her down and explain advanced theories and concepts to her in the best way he knows how, until he is sure that she has a good grasp on it.

Her brother is like a hero. _Her hero_. He is her father, mother, brother, teacher, and friend all in one.

He would have made such a good Magic Knight, something that she wants to be one day after she heard stories from Nozel just how strong their mother was.

Their feats (_or more like her brother's feats since he was the one doing the bulk of all the work_) had caught the attention of their Kingdom's Magic Knights and there were several offers from the various high-ranking Knights they met for Nozel to join them. Nozel had declined them all in a heartbeat. That still didn't deter some very stubborn and bull-headed Knights for trying though.

"_Noooozzeeeeeeeeelll_!"

Noelle burst out laughing when her brother gave a frustrated sigh but resigned himself to his fate. They had only just left the lowest chamber of the underground dungeon they are in before they heard the voice that they both know all too well. The owner of the voice had been stalking them for months ever since they first met. No matter how her brother tried to shake that person off their tail, he never did succeed.

"Julius, I told you to stop following me."

"Ah, Nozel! How could you hurt me with such cold words?!" The man known as Julius Novachrono, currently the Captain of the Grey Deer squad, put his hands over his chest where his heart is located with a look of mock hurt. His exaggerated actions got Noelle to laugh louder. Uncle Julius is just so funny!

"Uncle Julius!"

"Noelle!" Julius gave her a cheerful greeting in return together with a bag of her favourite sweets. She knows that it is his bribe to her to hopefully pull her to his side in convincing her awesome big brother to join the Magic Knights. Unfortunately for her big brother, it is working. Should she help Uncle Julius out? Decisions, decisions….

"Stop following us everywhere, Julius." Nozel said as he continues to walk along as if Julius wasn't there. Noelle hurried to keep in step with her brother as she popped a sweet into her mouth. _Mmmm_, delicious.

"Join the Magic Knights!" Julius wasted no time in making his intentions known. "The country needs people like you!"

"I prefer my current freedom as it is, thank you very much."

"We can change the world for the better!"

"You have enough strength to do it without my help. You are strong enough to be the next Magic Emperor."

"But I also need equally capable Knights!" Julius exclaimed comically as he quickly stood in front of her brother, blocking his way while flailing his hands animatedly. Nozel simply walked around the flustered Captain without a second thought with his usual poker face.

"There are already capable Knights that will follow you anywhere as long as you give the order. Fu, Yami, William, and Jack all respect you. It's like they will never say no to any orders you give them. They are all at least my equal, or my betters when it comes to combat. You don't need me."

"The current generation of Captains are growing old." Julius said in a more serious manner as he caught up with the siblings. "Your generation will be the ones who will eventually fill their shoes and among your generation, people like you are the cream of the crop. When I become the Magic Emperor, I plan to create more squads. I want to at least have nine squads in total. I need at least nine capable Magic Knights from your generation to help me."

"There are many other stronger mages out there other than me."

"But many of them are either royals or nobles with the same prejudice against commoners. You are different."

Noelle observed in silence as Julius continues with his practiced recruitment speech. However, his words entered Nozel's right ear and exited through his left.

"Give me one good reason why I should risk my life to defend those stuck-up nobles and royals."

"Being a Magic Knight is to protect _everyone_ in the country, Nozel, not just the ruling class. You know that."

"Wrong." Nozel disagreed as the three of them had now finished walking through the long and dark corridor that was full of traps when they first entered the dungeon. Nozel had taught her how to set all of them off prematurely by letting her flood the corridor with her Water Magic before they moved ahead, saving them a lot of time. It was a good learning experience in learning how to flush hazardous things out of her way. Letting her immense magic run wild was a therapeutic experience too. It feels great to be able to let it all out.

"Why do you think that way?"

"In the end, the Magic Knights are always used for protecting the royal family and the nobles. I had saw it many times during my time as a Silva. The commoners have little to no protection from the Magic Knights." Nozel scoffed as he defended them from a stray trap that had somehow not got itself set off when they passed it earlier. His shield of liquid mercury blocked off a hail of arrows as the three of them continued walking without slowing down nor did they hasten their pace. Nozel's defence is just that strong. They will be safe if they stick close to him.

"And that's why **_we_** are changing things! Starting from us, Nozel! One step at a time! Please! Lend me your strength!"

"And it will be a futile effort since Clover is rotten at its core. Just look at our King. I don't want to waste my time and energy on something that cannot be saved."

Just at that moment, the wall at their far-right burst and exploded into dust.

"Fucking finally!"

"Damn you, you lanky bastard! Look at where you are slicing! You nearly chopped my head off!"

"Oh, you are still alive?"

"What the hell?! You were trying to _kill me_?! That's it! You and I, right now!"

"Jack, Yami, stop your bickering. We are here to find and regroup with the Captain."

"William's right." The familiar voice of Fuegoleon Vermillion got Noelle to perk up. "We are here to find Captain Julius. Who knows where he is running off to again."

"Big brother Fu!" Noelle waved excitedly at her big brother's best friend. Fuegoleon is one of the two royals that did not shun her and her brother when they both got themselves exiled from their house. Fuegoleon's older sister, Mereoleona, is the other one, but she is a little too… _intense_ for Noelle's taste.

"Noelle?" Fuegoleon looked surprised upon spotting her and the surprise grew when he saw Nozel together with the wayward Captain that they are all searching for. "Nozel? Captain? You guys too?"

"It's been some time since we last met face-to-face, Fu." Nozel greeted as the two friends bumped fists with each other. "Although I have to ask, since when did the Crimson Lion joined up with the Grey Deer and Green Mantis?"

"It is a joint mission with Captain Julius leading it, although he ran off at the first opportunity into the dungeon. I see you are the reason."

"Hey, silver guy! We meet again! Fight me!"

Noelle hid herself behind her brother when the tall lanky guy with blades on his arms challenged her older brother _again_. This is not the first time that they had met, but the guy's face still gives her the creeps.

"Another day, Jack. And Yami, stop smoking. Noelle doesn't like the smell."

"Ah, my bad, my bad." The foreigner stamped out his lighted cigarette before giving Noelle a sheepish look while rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry girl, bad habits die hard."

Noelle gave the man a forced smile as she tried her best to not wrinkle her nose at the offending smell. Her brother had raised her to be a polite girl and that is how she will carry herself.

"William! Help me convince the silver guy to fight me!"

"I'm afraid this place is unsuited for a battle between mages as strong as you and Nozel. And we are here to find the Captain and to conquer the dungeon, although the last point is moot since I see that Nozel had already cleaned this place of any treasures."

"I can give you guys a few trinkets if you want." Nozel replied with a shrug. "I have no need for so many items and you guys can have something to prove that you completed your mission."

"Who even cares about the mission?!" The tall lanky guy exclaimed as his brandished blades unknowingly got a little too close for Noelle's comfort. Her brother had instinctively shifted himself to shield her better from the battle hungry man. "Fight me!"

"Jack." Julius, who had been silent the entire time, called out to the only member from Green Mantis. "You can have your fight later, now is not the right place and time to do so. You are scaring Noelle."

"Tch." Jack grumbled and to Noelle's relief, willed away the menacing looking blades on his arms.

"Can we get going now?" Nozel said in his usual monotone. "I'm dying to see some sunlight after spending so much time in the dungeon."

"The Magic Knights only found out about this dungeon three days ago. How did you managed to find and conquer it so quickly? This is also one of the most dangerous ones we found to date!"

"I am a treasure hunter, Fu. I have to be good in my job."

"Join me, Nozel! Be a Magic Knight! The country needs you!"

"No thanks, Julius."

"Hey, Captain Julius is right." Jack said in that creepy smile of his as it got impossibly wider. It is like he had hit upon some bright idea. "If you join, then we can finally have our battle for real. Not like the little warmup we had the other time."

Oh, she guess _that_ is also one way to go about recruiting people. Too bad for Jack though, that reason wouldn't be enough to convince her brother.

"All the more reason for me to stay away from you creeps."

See?

"Will you be heading for the Royal Capital too?" Fuegoleon inquired his friend with a curious look on his face.

"I don't think so. Noelle and I have no wish to step into the Capital since we don't want to bump into anyone from the Silva house."

"But the Star Awards Festival is coming up soon!" Julius exclaimed with an excited gleam in his eyes as he clasped his hands together. "It will be the biggest celebration in the country's history! It will be so fun!"

Noelle let her imaginations run wild at the thought. She had never attended a festival before due to her previous oppressive upbringing, let alone attending such a huge festival. How does a festival even look like?

"Noelle, you had never been to a festival before, am I right?" As if reading her thoughts, Julius eagerly grabbed onto her small hands in a childish manner. "You should totally go and experience it for yourself!"

"B-But…"

"Nozel, you agree with me, right?" Julius redirected his attention back to her big brother, who remained silent as he pondered about the issue.

"Hey, a child should act like a child and go have fun at festivals." Yami said nonchalantly as he slung an arm around Nozel. "I know you don't like your family all that much but surely you won't be so unlucky to bump into them during the festival? The Royal Capital _is_ a big place. I know your little sister is mature for her age, but she should have her own fun like the kid she is."

"Yeah, go for it so we can have our fight over at the Royal Capital! I will slice you into pieces!"

"Jack, calm down." William said with a sigh. Fuegoleon just seemed unaffected by whatever is going on as he looked towards Nozel for his response.

"…Fine. Just this once."

Noelle cannot help when the smile that formed on her face nearly split it into two. A festival! And the biggest Star Awards Festival too! She will be going for her _first festival_!

"Thank you, big brother!" Noelle thanked her brother happily as she ran up to him and gave him a big hug. She knows how much he detests that place and yet he willingly went back for her sake.

He is really the best brother ever.

* * *

"Woohoo! Home sweet home!"

Jack's excited whoop got Yami to nod in agreement the moment the entire group stepped beyond the gates of the Royal Capital to enter the city. Noelle looked up and observed her surroundings, taking in the sights of the place that she once lived in.

From the way her brother stiffened a little when he observed the Capital like she did, he must have remembered certain memories as well. She just doesn't know if he recalled the good or the bad ones.

"You and Noelle can stay at my place, Nozel."

"Thanks, Fu, but I think it is better if we stay at an inn instead. I don't want to bring any trouble to your family simply by housing us."

"Nonsense." Fuegoleon snorted in an uncharacteristic manner. "You are my friend, royalty or not. Tongues can wag for all I care."

"But others won't see it that way." Nozel is equally firm in his stand as he politely rejected Fuegoleon's offer. "It's fine, Fu. Thanks for the offer though."

Fuegoleon doesn't seem convinced, but he knows better than anyone that it is a lost cause trying to persuade Nozel to change his mind as it is. He can be frustratingly stubborn.

"I will go ahead and report the mission completion." William spoke up from behind. "See you at the festival, Nozel, Noelle."

"Make sure to come find me at the Green Mantis HQ for a fight or I will go find you myself, silver guy." Jack added his own words before he parted from the group.

"And I guess this is my cue to disappear and finally take my nap." Yami yawned before his stomach growled audibly. "Ok, maybe a nice meal before my nap, my treat. Cap't, Fu, you two joining?"

"I'm afraid I have to head back home immediately for some family matters." Fuegoleon replied. "But the next time, it will be my treat."

"Sure, sure, I will be waiting. Cap't? Wait. _Where_ is he?"

True to Yami's words, Julius had already disappeared.

"Probably sneaked off to have some fun of his own." Nozel said matter-of-factly. "Although I still have no idea how he did that without any of us catching him in the act."

And so, after waving goodbye to Fuegoleon, the two men and one excited girl slowly made their way into the heart of the Royal Capital. Noelle bounced excitedly on her feet as she ran from stall to stall trying to see what merchandises they are selling. These stalls all belong to merchants or traders who had moved here to set up their business for the upcoming festival, trying to use this chance to rake in some big cash. Even in her fun, Noelle still made sure to stay within her brother's line of sight at all times. That is one thing that he had drilled into her head ever since they left their past behind. It is for her own safety.

She and her brother are both wearing a hooded cloak that hide their distinctive silver hair. Yami walked with her brother side-by-side as they made idle conversations with each other and kept an eye on her.

In the end, Yami insist on eating at a stall that in his own words, '_sells the best pasta in the whole goddamn Clover_'. Noelle and her brother have no objections. They are not picky in their food.

And boy, was Yami right. The pasta _is_ delicious.

"Ah, that hit the right spot." Yami said in contentment upon taking the first bite of the food he was served. Noelle nodded her head in excitement, not being able to comment since her mouth is stuffed with the delicious pasta.

"Slow down, Noelle. The pasta is not going anywhere."

Noelle gave her brother a pout. However, it seems that he had grown some resistance to her cute looks. She will need to work on her pout in secret later at night.

"I think I can use another bowl. Hey, waiter!" Yami hollered out to one of the waiters scurrying around in the wooden street stall that they are at, trying their best to serve the huge number of customers that patronised their stall. "One more-"

It was at that moment that the ground trembled violently and shook. To Noelle's horror, a garden of thorns emerged as huge thorny vines sprouted from the ground all around them. It is not just their area that is affected. Several places near them are experiencing the same phenomenon as well.

"What the-"

"Silver Blade"

With a simple command, solid swords made of mercury sliced the approaching vines like they are made of paper. Nozel grabbed her and hauled her out of harm's way, easily carrying her with just a single arm.

"Big brother! What's happening?!"

"No idea, although this magic does seem familiar."

Yami joined in as a slash coated with Dark Magic destroyed another group of vines, giving Nozel enough time to raise all the nearby bystanders into the air with floating platforms made of mercury. With that, they are safe.

They are safe _for now_. Things will go south quickly if they don't nip this problem in the bud right away.

"Nozel! Can you go find the source of this crap?! I need to stay here to ensure no one gets hurt!" Yami shouted out as he slashed at another group of vines, freeing some of the nearby bystanders who were caught up in this mess. Noelle can't help but admire the sense of duty Yami has as a Magic Knight. Even in times of crisis, the first thought he had was the safety and well-being of the innocents, not his own. Despite his laid-back behaviour, Yami is a true Magic Knight in her eyes.

"Go fulfil your duties as a Knight. Leave this to me."

Quickly depositing the people they had just saved on a relatively safe spot, Nozel flew into the air with a platform of mercury and brought her along with him towards the direction where the biggest mass of vines are spotted. People might call him crazy for bringing a young girl into a warzone, but Noelle knows better. Being by her brother's side is the safest place for her to be.

"W-What is this magic?!"

"Briars, I think. This looks like Briar Magic." Her brother said with a frown as he looked deep in thought. "This magic is really familiar for some reason, even if I'm sure this is the first time I am seeing it with my eyes."

"Is Briar Magic that uncommon?"

"I… _don't think so_." Her brother replied with a degree of uncertainty in his voice as his frown deepened. "But we will find out soon enough. Hold on tight, we are going in."

Countless globules of mercury hovered around them before Nozel shot them at the growing mass of vines with great force, opening up a path for them to fly through.

"W-Wow."

"You will catch flies in your mouth if you leave it hanging open like that." Her brother said in amusement as his magic handled both offense and defence in tandem, enabling them to pass through the massive vines unharmed. This is not the first time she had witnessed it, but Noelle cannot help but gape at the skill her brother displayed. When will she be able to achieve this level of control for her magic?

The briars had already enveloped an entire building and show no signs of stopping. If anything, they are growing at an even quicker rate.

"Big brother, isn't this place the mansion of House Roselei?" Noelle asked the moment she spotted the symbol of said house painted on a huge wall of the massive building. "Are they under attack?"

She saw her brother's eyes widening in realisation, although Noelle has a gut feeling that there seems to be another unknown reason for his reaction.

"_Of course_, House Roselei." Her brother mumbled to himself. "How could I forget? I have been very forgetful as of late. My memories are failing me."

"Brother?"

"This is no attack, Noelle. In fact, someone's magic had just lost control."

"Lost control?" Noelle questioned in puzzlement. And _how_ would her brother know?

"Mother had told me once before when I was young, that there is a girl about my age in House Roselei that is cursed so that on her eighteenth birthday, she and her family will be trapped in a cage of time. Or at least that was how the story goes. Come to think about it, that supposed time should be around this period. I do remember Mother saying that the girl is about two years younger than me and I am turning twenty this year. The timeline matches."

"So these briars…"

"Probably the visible result of the initial stage of her curse getting invoked. We need to hurry if we don't want to see the entire Royal Capital turning into a vineyard. Who knows what the true form of the curse really is? I don't think a '_cage of time'_ is the only thing it can do."

They eventually reached the building where the vines had originated, which had now curled and grow to envelope the centre of the building protectively. A massive magical signature shone as bright as the sun against their magical senses at the top of a lone tower of the building. It is obvious that this is where everything first started.

Her brother didn't slow down in their flight as he forcefully destroyed the vines and subsequently the wall of the tower, creating an entrance for the both of them. The briars did not take kindly to their presence, however, and began to lash out at them like furious serpents.

"Silver Rain"

Endless droplets of mercury rained down from the sky as it decimated any briars that got too close. Nozel walked forward as Noelle carefully kept in step with him. It wasn't long before they saw a woman partially covered by the briars lying helplessly on the floor in pain, her magic flaring so bright that it hurts Noelle's head just by being so close to her.

"Your magic will destroy the entire Capital at this rate." Her brother stated as he went through his pockets, presumably to search for one of those nifty magical tools they found in the numerous dungeons they had explored together. There are several tools they found that possess peculiar functions. Maybe one of them can help the woman lying on the floor there.

Like she had expected, her brother took out a necklace-shaped magic tool. She recognised it straightaway. It is a tool that she had once used to help her in learning how to control her untamed powers by restraining it, only allowing a small portion to leak through so she can gradually grow used to controlling her powers a little at a time. However, she now has an even better one that they found later on which is more suited to her current needs. Originally, they were planning to sell that necklace-like magic tool away since they have no use for it anymore. They might as well use it now to help this lady since it is obvious that she is suffering from the uncontrollable outburst of her own magic.

Nozel tossed the tool towards the lady and the moment it landed on her, the lady's magic stopped leaking out uncontrollably.

"W-What?"

"Wear it on your person. This magic tool has the ability to help its wearer keep their magic in check. I don't think you will still need it after this since the curse on you should disappear the moment it was invoked no matter if it was a successful or failed invocation. Your curse should be gone for good. Nevertheless, it never hurts to be careful until we know for sure."

"Take care, pretty lady!" Noelle waved the beautiful woman goodbye when her brother wordlessly turned around to take his leave. The woman's magic had stopped running rampant and there is nothing else for them to do here. "Bye!"

"Noelle, we need to go before anyone else shows up."

"Ok!" Noelle replied as she readjusted the hood over her head, making sure that none of her distinctive silver locks were exposed. The last thing they need is for their family members finding out that they are currently here in the Royal Capital. They still have no clue how their family will react to their sudden reappearance, but the both of them can certainly agree that they both have no wish to see anyone from the Silva house. Glancing back at her brother, she found that the top half of his face is covered with the hood of his cloak. Noelle personally thinks that he pulled off the mysterious look pretty well.

_Why_ is her brother so handsome and suave no matter what he does? Oh right, it is because he is the _most awesomest brother ever_! Her knight in silver armour! Of course he is handsome and suave!

A platform of mercury formed below their feet as Nozel gave a mental command for it to bring them out of here. The crisis has been averted and they can all finally go back to eating their unfinished meal.

"Say, big brother, was that lady pretty?"

Nozel simply gave her a silent questioning look, prompting her to explain the question behind that question.

"Did you see how she looked at you? I think she just fell in love with you!"

It is her honest opinion. The look on that lady's face looked as if she had found true love at first sight. Noelle may be young, but she had seen enough on her short travels the kinds of expressions people in love will put on their faces! The lady's facial expression just now was certainly one of those!

Hmm, her brother will be turning twenty this year. Most nobles would have at least gotten themselves engaged by now, no matter if it is an arranged marriage for political purposes or one that is borne out of true love. Their mother herself already had Nozel when she just turned eighteen.

Maybe she should help her socially inept brother find himself a wife? God knows how long he will take if she left him to do things at his own pace! A talented fighter and dungeon conqueror he may be, but a social person he is not!

"Don't over exaggerate things." Nozel chided half-heartedly as he surveyed the damage to the city from the air. Thankfully, there didn't seem to be any casualties although the Magic Knights around the area also have their hands full with this sudden emergency. Yami probably won't be free for quite a while since he is busy saving the citizens like the responsible Magic Knight he is.

"Want to explore the other side of the Capital? We have some time until the sun sets anyway."

"I want the cream puffs at the edge of the Capital! The ones that you used to buy for me!"

"Sure." Her brother patted her on the head dotingly, indulging her whims as he flew them towards their new destination. "I am craving some myself."

Yay! _Cream puffs_! Her big brother is definitely the _most_ _awesomest brother ever_!

* * *

**AN: I guess it is obvious from the tag that this is going to be a Nozel x Charlotte pairing all along. I'm unsure how many of you knows this, but before Julius became the Magic Emperor, he was the Captain of the Grey Deer. The Grey Deer was later renamed to Azure Deer when Rill took over as Captain after Julius became the Magic Emperor. William and Yami were also members of the Grey Deer under Julius's leadership before they became Captains themselves. Since William was the first Captain of Golden Dawn and I remembered Yami searching for a place to build the HQ of the Black Bull in the manga (the scene when he first met Henry), suggesting that he is also the first Captain of the Black Bull, I surmised that the original number of squads in the Magic Knights was lesser than nine before Julius came to power. In canon, Fuegoleon and Nozel were also friends/rivals and I don't see a reason why that shouldn't be the same for this case since Fuegoleon isn't like the typical stuck-up royal in the series. I personally like Jack the Ripper as a character, so I added him in as well. The Captains are all about the same age according to the BC wiki, so I suspect that it is highly likely that they all became Captains at about the same time. There was probably a huge change in leadership among the Magic Knights at one point.**

**In this story of mine, Nozel's presence had changed canon such that Nozel is now the one who had knowingly or unknowingly saved Charlotte from her curse, not Yami. I think you guys can see the direction this story is heading to by now.**

**As for future updates for this story, I do have a few more chapters on hand, but I intend to take it slow. One reason is because I want to double check for any possible errors or plotholes that I might unknowingly drop myself into because I do not know this fandom as well as the others that I had written my stories about. The second reason is well, you guys might try to murder me for this, but as a reader, I find it more fun to have something to look forward to every week. I still have about four more chapters on hand for this story. So for now, I decide that I will most likely post a new chapter a week for this story until my stash has emptied. That means that you guys have something to look forward to every week for the next coming month. I might change my mind, but for now this will be the current arrangement.**

**In any case, I hope you enjoy the story thus far.**


	4. Chapter 4- Who You Truly Are

"ARE. YOU. READY!"

"Geez, calm down, Yami. The festival hasn't started yet."

Yami did a mental roll of his eyes. The silver-haired siscon really needs to get the stuffy attitude out of his system. He is no fun at all.

"Hah, tell that to your sister."

Yami pointed to an energetic Noelle, who is already dashing from stall to stall trying to find fun things to do.

"She is just a child. You, on the other hand, are an adult. Act like one."

"You are no fun." Yami turned his head the other way with his nose pointed upwards in an exaggerated manner. "Goddamn stuffy royal upbringing."

"Can't argue with you about that." Nozel took the jab with good grace as they both strolled through the crowd while keeping an eye on Noelle. She is wearing the beautiful dress that Nozel had bought for her just for this occasion. She had loved it.

"Are anyone else joining us?"

"William and Fu will be a little late due to some last-minute work thrown at them, but they will be here." Yami replied. "Jack obviously won't be coming and Cap't might be a little busy running off doing his own thing."

"Noelle would love to see William and Fu again." Nozel said with a smile. The ex-royal is still dressed in a simple cloak with its hood over the top half of his face to ensure that no one from his family will accidentally spot him and his unique silver hair from the crowd. Noelle herself wore a mask over her face similar to those worn in a masquerade ball. Her hair is temporarily dyed blonde for today for the same reason. Her getup doesn't stand out in this festive season, and Noelle was ecstatic to be able to dress up for the festival.

"Well, there _is_ a group of someones who want to see you." Yami said as he scratched his chin with a finger.

"If you mean the people from my family-"

"No, I mean the Roselei house."

"_Roselei house_?" Nozel asked in curiosity. "How did they find out about my identity? Noelle and I both kept our faces hidden the entire time we stopped that mess."

"How many people do you know uses Mercury Magic just like you? I won't be surprised if your family realised that you and your sister are back in the Royal Capital after that shit show." Yami argued back. "The Roselei house had also asked around and found out from the people on the streets that you two were seen with me before that shit started, so naturally they asked me about the two of you."

"And what was your reply?"

"That I would ask you on their behalf if you would agree to their request for a meeting. They said that they want to thank you personally. Their words, not mine."

"Just help me decline their request on my behalf. I have no wish to entangle myself or Noelle with nobles."

"That's what I thought." Yami grumbled under his breath. "I told them the exact same thing but they still wanted me to ask you."

"Thanks for playing messenger."

"Why the bloody hell are you always so damn formal?" Yami slung his arm around the silver haired mage and pulled him in towards himself like they had known each other for decades, throwing his other free arm up into the air before doing a proclamation. "Loosen up a little! This is a festival and none of us are going home today until we are both dead drunk!"

"I have to take care of Noelle. I cannot be drunk."

"Damn siscon. Loosen up for once!"

"SILVER GUY! WHERE ARE YOU?! SHOW YOURSELF!"

"Fuck." Yami cursed the moment he heard Jack's unpleasant voice ringing out from somewhere in the busy marketplace. "I thought the lanky bastard said he wasn't coming?!"

"I might have forgotten to give him the battle he wants. He did say that he will bring the fight to me if I didn't find him."

"Time to run?"

"Time to run." Nozel affirmed with a nod of his head before calling out for Noelle. Dealing with a battle crazed Jack is not worth the trouble. "Noelle! We are leaving!"

"Ok!" Noelle called out before running back to them with a skip in her steps. "Are you going to fight creepy Jack, big brother?"

"No, we are doing the exact opposite. Let's go explore the other side of the bazaar, ok?"

"But _big brother_~~ You will definitely win if you fight Jack!" Noelle exclaimed excitedly. Her big brother is _undefeatable_. There's no way he would lose to a creepy guy like Jack! There wasn't a winner between the two when they just met many months ago and had a little skirmish (_or more like Jack forcing a fight with Nozel the moment he caught a glimpse of his strength_) since their fight was broken up with Julius's intervention. Jack obviously wasn't satisfied with that outcome, and he hasn't stopped trying to convince Nozel to resume their battle where they previously left off whenever the two of them met.

"That will only encourage him to seek me out more frequently." Nozel visibly shuddered at the thought. "Jack is nothing but persistent."

The three of them quickly made their way to the opposite direction of where Jack's voice is calling out to Nozel. None of them want to deal with the battle maniac.

"There you are!"

"Crap."

Yami's comment summarised the collective thoughts in their heads when Jack the Ripper did a powerful leap to jump over the crowd and landed right in front of them, his blades already brandished and ready for a fight.

"Jack, not now."

"That's what you always say! I don't care, this time we will determine a winner from our fight!" Jack shouted with a crazed look while pointing a finger at Noelle's brother. "I'm not going to lose, silver bastard!"

"Will you leave me alone if I just give up and surrender?"

"Oh _hell no_!" Jack looked disgusted at the thought as his blades lengthened a little unconsciously. "If I want to fight you, it must be when you are at your best! It will not be fun to cut you up otherwise!"

"Big brother _will_ beat you!" Noelle defended her brother in the only way she knows how as she stood with her hands on her hips and stared up at the intimidating Magic Knight without a hint of fear on her face. "Just you wait!"

"See that? Even your sister wants to see you fight! Come on, fight me!"

"Go away." Nozel said in annoyance as he turned to make his leave. "I'm not in the mood to fight anyone right now. Come, Noelle, let's go."

With an obvious look of dismay even through the mask she is wearing, Noelle trotted after her brother a little unwillingly. Why won't her brother show the world just how strong he is? He is strong! There's no way he would lose to a creep like Jack!

"You are not going anywhere!" Jack shouted before he raised his bladed arm before slicing it down, shooting a deadly sharp mana blade towards Nozel.

"Cut it out, Jack!"

Yami intercepted the attack with his own katana before the situation spiralled out of control. Jack wasn't deterred, however, and proceeded to try and force Nozel into a fight by leaping towards him. Yami responded by blocking his every attempt.

"Damn it, lanky bastard! Today is the Star Awards Festival! Don't make a scene!"

"Screw off, Yami!"

* * *

One would think that having an upcoming event as important and large as the Star Awards Festival would deter some of the more brutish Magic Knights from committing foolish acts. Apparently, she had severely underestimated their idiocy.

And so, as an Intermediate Magic Knight about to be promoted to a Senior Magic Knight, Charlotte Roselei has a duty to keep her fellow misbehaving Knights in line. She wouldn't allow anyone to ruin the upcoming festival. The opening ceremony will be starting in a few hours and nothing is allowed to go wrong.

Jack's barbarian voice could be heard even before she spotted the tall man. The psychotic warrior jumped out from the crowd before giving chase to a hooded figure wrapped from head to toe in a dark cloak. The figure is carrying a little girl with one arm as he made his escape. She would have thought that Jack is finally trying to do a good deed for once in preventing a kidnapping incident if the little girl isn't making funny faces at Jack, looking totally unafraid at the circumstances she is in.

Charlotte squinted her eyes a little. The frame of that hooded figure did look a lot like the one that had helped save her from her curse a few days ago. She and her family had tried to search for the mysterious mage and finally found out that the mysterious mage is Yami's acquaintance. Using her family's influence to dig up more clues, she also found out that said unknown mage is at least acquainted with several rising stars of Magic Knights in her generation. William, Fuegoleon, and Jack definitely knows him. Captain Julius seems to have a vested interest in her saviour as well.

She doesn't know how her saviour looks like since his face was mostly covered by a large hood when they first met, but that doesn't help with calming her heart from beating faster and faster whenever she thought of him. She was firm in her belief that she is strong enough to do everything on her own. She had never needed anyone else to help her, much less a man, but that man had dispelled her curse so easily without effort when it had almost consumed her. She had failed to stop the curse even after so many years of throwing herself into harsh trainings in her resolve to get herself out of her previous hopeless predicament. When the curse was still invoked no matter how hard she tried to prevent it from happening, she had thought that it was her end. She was bitter that no matter how hard she tried, she still failed to defy fate.

Until he appeared out of the blue and saved her.

"Come back here, silver bastard!"

"Nyeh~" The little girl on the shoulder of the hooded figure made another face at Jack. "Come catch us if you can!"

Could this little girl be the same one that was with her saviour at that time? She remembered that her saviour did call the little girl that was with him by the name 'Noelle'. If this girl's name is also Noelle, then this hooded figure might just be her saviour that she is looking for!

"Damn it Noelle! Don't get too cocky! Wait till I cut you up into pieces when I get my hands on you and your brother!"

"_Eeek_!" The little girl screamed out upon spotting Jack's scary visage and she quickly tapped her brother's shoulder to get him to run faster. "Big brother, faster! Faster! Jack is catching up!"

The little girl's name is really Noelle?! Then that hooded figure must be her saviour!

Without a shred of hesitation, Charlotte dashed towards the same direction Jack is running towards. She soon realised that Jack and the hooded figure are fast on their feet. By the time she caught up, they are already near the edge of the Capital. At this rate, her saviour might run out of the Capital even before she can catch up.

Hence, the moment she saw an opening, she wasted no time in using her powers to summon a thick wall of briars to enclose them all in it.

"What the hell Charlotte! Get out of my way before I cut you!"

"The festival is starting soon! Don't cause a scene!" Charlotte replied in an irritated manner. Talking to this stupid warmonger is wasting her breath.

"Pretty lady! You are alright!"

The man who Noelle is hitching a ride on shifted uncomfortably the moment his sister grabbed her attention. Did her saviour not want to talk to her? Why?

Still, there's no mistake now. 'Pretty lady' is the same term that little girl called her by when she was first saved from her curse. Both little girls are also called Noelle. They have to be the same person, which also means that the man with her is her saviour.

"Yes, I am. I'm glad I finally got to meet you in person." Charlotte replied with the best smile she can manage as the little girl finally released herself from the hooded figure. Charlotte lowered herself to Noelle's height when the little girl bounded up to her. "I haven't got around to introduce myself, did I? I am Charlotte Roselei of the Roselei house. I am also a Magic Knight of Blue Rose. It's nice to meet you, Noelle."

"No fair! How come you got to know my name even before I know yours?!"

"I don't know, _maybe_ it's because I was screaming it out loud for everyone to hear while I was chasing the two of you?" Jack replied sarcastically as he reluctantly took a pause in crying out his challenge to the hooded figure. "You are pretty damn stupid, aren't you?"

"But I'm still smarter than you!"

"Oh? How so?"

"It's obvious big brother can kick your ass_-_, _I mean,_ defeat you easily with a single pinkie and yet you still want to challenge him! If that isn't stupid then I don't know what is!"

Charlotte cannot help but let out a laugh at the child's logic. So that hooded figure is her brother? She had thought that the figure was her father given how young Noelle is. Just how big is the age gap between the siblings?

"Noelle, language. I raised you better than this."

"But big brother! You can totally kick his ass!"

"_Language_."

Noelle did a pout of defiance which immediately melted Charlotte's cold heart into a pile of goo. How adorable!

"You must be the one who saved me from my curse." Charlotte straightened herself, standing with the posture befitting of her status as a noblewoman before giving him a grateful bow. "Please accept my thanks. Your help in stopping my curse means a lot to me."

"No worries. I'm glad you are alright." The hooded figure replied to her with a slight dip of his head. "Are you feeling better?"

"I am. My family and I have been searching for you to thank you properly. If it's possible, would you visit our house after the festival?"

"There's no need to-"

"I insist."

"Silver guy there has a problem with nobles and royalty, so don't bother." Jack said with a huff before walking past her, his shoulder coming into contact with hers and pushing her aside in an uncouth manner as he did so. "Now with the distractions out of the way, let's have our battle!"

Charlotte scowled when she felt herself getting physically brushed aside. How _dare_ this brute do that to her!

"I have enough of your attitude, Jack. Don't make me restrain you."

"You want to _try_, Charlotte?" Jack sneered in a threatening tone as he glared in her direction. "You would be good warmup practice."

"Enough."

Her saviour's authoritative voice got everyone's attention.

"One battle. Then leave me alone, Jack."

Jack's crazed grin got even wider.

"Imma cut you up, _silver_."

* * *

_Impossible_

"Oi, that's it?"

Yami said in disbelief as he crouched down and poked Jack's face with a single finger. There wasn't a response. The tall man had gotten himself knocked out cold and is now sprawled on the ground with his eyes rolled to the back of his head.

From the looks of the few bystanders around them, no one had expected one of the strongest Knights in their generation to get himself defeated so quickly. Charlotte couldn't believe her eyes either. Jack wasn't able to put up any resistance. She holds close to no respect for Jack as a person but that doesn't mean she is blind to his strength. Jack is someone no sane person will want to willingly face in a fight.

And yet Jack had _lost_.

The battle had commenced after the Star Awards Opening Ceremony had ended, since her saviour had stated that Noelle wanted to enjoy the festival as much as possible and that he will only entertain any thoughts about battle after his sister had her fun. Jack was willing to wait for a little longer if it means a promise of battle. A battle was what he got.

Jack is extremely strong, there is no doubt about that. And while her saviour is strong in his own right, his magic does not boast the same sheer offensive capabilities that Jack's Slash Magic has. Jack's magic is one that is built solely for offense unlike her saviour's Mercury Magic.

Her saviour had simply summoned a huge amount of mercury and wrapped it around Jack the moment the battle started. Her saviour obviously knows about the properties of Jack's Slash Magic. The deadliest part of Jack's Magic is the ability of his blades to adapt to any kind of magic the moment they come into contact with it, enabling him to cut through anything given time as long as Jack isn't out of the count. The mercury her saviour controlled had purposely avoided Jack's scythe-like blades to prevent Jack's blades from adapting to his mercury, and his mercury harden immediately the moment they wrapped around Jack, trapping him in an immovable cocoon of solid mercury. Her saviour then used his mercury to quickly block Jack's nostrils and mouth, suffocating the immobile Jack until he passed out unconscious. He didn't even need to take a single step to grab his victory.

He didn't even need a single pinkie to defeat him like his little sister had so boastfully claimed.

"Splendid work as ever, Nozel." Fuegoleon praised the hooded figure and walked up to him, giving him a congratulatory pat on the back. "Jack needs someone to knock him down every now and then."

"He was too impulsive. Jack could have won if he played it smart. Among the few of us here, if we were to judge our offensive powers solely based on the properties of our magic, I don't think anyone other than you could win him. Only your Fire Magic has a chance to beat him in terms of offensive powers. There's no way I could win Jack in a head on fight."

"You are too modest, Nozel. There is more to strength than just winning through brute force. Are you sure you don't want to join the Magic Knights?"

"Like I said, I don't see a point in joining, William."

"Big brother! If your reason in not joining the Magic Knights is because you are worried about having no one to take care of me, then don't! I am turning six soon! I am a big girl now and I can take of myself! Just join the Magic Knights! You will be the _most awesomest_ Magic Knight ever!"

"You are still too young to be trying to take care of yourself, Noelle."

Charlotte's mind went a mile a minute the moment he heard her saviour's name. _Nozel_? That name sounds extremely familiar. And Mercury Magic? She is sure she had heard of someone wielding this particular magic before, but where and when?!

After giving a pout at her brother's words, the little girl then turns her attention to the now unconscious Jack lying on the floor.

"Take that, creepy Jack! I told you big brother can beat you hands down!"

"He is already unconscious, Noelle. He cannot hear you. And don't be rude."

"He wasn't being polite either!"

"That is still not an excuse to be rude. At least respect his strength even if you cannot find it within yourself to respect his character."

"Ahhh! Did I miss the battle?!" Captain Julius appeared in a blink and wailed comically the moment he spotted the unconscious Jack. "But I rushed here as fast as I could after the Opening Ceremony!"

"Uncle Julius! Big brother was _awesome_! You should have seen it!"

"It was a creative usage of his magic." William said in his usual gentle voice as he looked at Nozel. "I still find it a pity that you have no wish to be a Magic Knight."

"Why?" Charlotte blurted her question out. "Why would someone as strong as you not want to be a Magic Knight?"

Her saviour turned his head slightly in her direction, his face still largely obscured by the hood he wears.

"And why would I want to be one?"

"But big brother! You could easily be a Captain just like mother! Right, Uncle Julius? Right?"

"He could." Julius said in that usual jovial tone as he ruffled Noelle's hair fondly. "But I won't force him if he really doesn't want to be one."

"Your mother is a Captain?!" Charlotte exclaimed in shock. How could she not know of someone like that?!

"_Was_ a Captain. She's already dead."

Charlotte mentally slapped herself for that insensitive remark, even if she didn't mean to bring up unpleasant memories for her saviour, Nozel. _But where did she hear that name before_?

"Nozel…"

"I'm fine, Fu."

"So, who is going to carry Jack's sorry ass?" Yami questioned out loud, only to get blank stares in return.

"Right, me. Of course." Yami muttered out.

"Or we can wake him up so that he can walk by himself!" Noelle exclaimed before she jumped happily to the unconscious Jack and jabbed him repeatedly with her finger. "Wakey wakey! Rise and shine Jacky!"

In the end, Charlotte volunteered to carry them all with her Briar Magic towards her family's mansion, saying that it is to thank them for mitigating the trouble that her curse had caused a few days ago. Her magic running rampant due to her curse had destroyed a small part of the city, although thankfully there were no casualties. This was only possible due to her fellow colleagues' quick response to the situation, preventing her magic from harming any innocents unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Roselei house owes them a debt, especially to Nozel for stopping and freeing her of her curse.

She wishes that she can at least take a look at Nozel's face though. He hasn't taken down his hood yet. She wants to at least know how her saviour looks like.

Her parents had welcomed the group enthusiastically the moment she brought them into her home. Among the invited visitors, Fuegoleon is the only one of royal birth and he thanked her parents' hospitality on the group's behalf, who is mostly made up of commoners with close to no inkling on how social functions work for nobles.

When her parents personally thanked Nozel for helping to save her, she finally saw how he looks like the moment he took down his hood as a sign of respect to her parents.

She found herself thinking that his handsome face is nice to look at. The realisation of having such thoughts surprised even herself, because _since when_ did **_she_**_, _someone who has a strong dislike for men, ever have such thoughts about someone of the opposite sex?

His silver hair reminds her immediately of the only other people she knew with hair in that same shade of colour. _The Silva house_. The way he carries himself and the way he spoke to her parents clued her in that her saviour had an aristocratic upbringing, that Nozel was definitely raised a noble or a royal. It was then she remembered, that almost a year ago, the Head of the Silva house had exiled his oldest son in a heated argument. The banished Silva Prince had taken his youngest sister along with him for reasons undisclosed before he disappeared from the Royal Capital. It was the talk among nobles back then.

No wonder his name sounded so familiar. Nozel is definitely the exiled Silva. Noelle must be the youngest Silva Princess that Nozel had took away with him when he left the Silva house. That explains everything. It explains why Jack said that Nozel has a problem with nobles and royalty, Nozel's immense magical strength that is partly due to his lineage, his silver hair, the way he carries himself, and why he covered his face and hair in public while walking through the Capital.

Judging from how her parents took a momentary pause upon seeing Nozel's face, they had realised Nozel's true identity as well. Despite that, they both acted like nothing had happened as they continued to have a pleasant conversation with Nozel. Jack had regained consciousness by then and accepted his defeat with great reluctance. Still, Jack had to visibly control himself from ripping Noelle into shreds when she teased him relentlessly on how easily he had lost to her brother. Noelle had obediently stopped the moment her brother told her to.

The dinner was pleasant. With Captain Julius and her father there to moderate things, there will always be something for everyone to talk about without feeling awkward. Captain Julius was especially eager to mingle with her parents. It is no secret that Captain Julius is aiming to be the next Magic Emperor and that he is gathering his own supporters from both the Magic Knights and the ruling class. Her family is still undecided on whether they should give Captain Julius their support, but it is pubic knowledge that the Vermillion house is behind him, as do several other notable noble families and also several talented Magic Knights. Yami, William, and Jack are people who he had recruited, although Jack joined mainly for the promise of battle and decided to join the Green Mantis squad instead of the Grey Deer squad that Captain Julius leads. According to Jack, the Green Mantis squad provided more opportunities for battle which is the main reason for his decision.

When the dinner was finally over, each of the guests took their leave after saying their farewell. Nozel didn't want to stay any longer than necessary, but the fact that he is staying in an inn is enough reason for her father to insist that Nozel and Noelle to stay at the Roselei mansion for the night. He is their family's saviour, the least they can do is to provide a respectable lodging for him and his sister for however long he decides to stay in the Capital. In the end, Noelle's pleading got Nozel to agree to the request.

Noelle had somehow taken a great liking to her, something that Charlotte reciprocated even if she cannot think of a reason why the little girl likes her so much. They had only just met. Charlotte had volunteered to help Noelle get herself washed up when it was time for Noelle to go to bed. The little girl will be staying in her room for the night and it is obvious that the little girl is excited about the sleepover.

Noelle's own silver hair gleamed under the dim light when Charlotte finally rinsed out the blonde dye in the girl's hair. It is the same shade as her brother's. The both of them soaked themselves in the big tub in Charlotte's own bathroom, with Charlotte telling Noelle about her adventures as a Magic Knight when she found out that Noelle aspires to be one when she grows up. To make things fascinating for the little girl, Charlotte purposely spiced her stories up a little to sustain Noelle's interest. Noelle's aspiration is a result of what she had heard about her mother, Acier Silva, who was the Captain of the Silver Eagle squad until she passed away some years ago.

"Big sis Charlotte, do you like my brother?"

Charlotte can feel her face heating up rapidly at the sudden question. Are her feelings _that_ obvious?!

Noelle got a sly look in her eyes as she swam towards Charlotte in the bathtub they are in.

"Go for it, big sis Charlotte! I will always be behind you!"

"I-I-I d-don't have s-such t-thoughts about your brother!"

"_Surrreeeeeee_." Noelle slurred out her response with a look of disbelief.

"R-Really!"

"_Of course_ you don't." Noelle replied with a sarcastic roll of her eyes before giving a sigh. She then propped her chin up with one hand as she said her thoughts out loud.

"In that case, maybe I should find someone else to be my big sister? Big brother is going to be twenty soon and he is no longer young. Most people would have gotten themselves married or engaged at this age. If he was still a Silva, father would have make him get himself a bride or a fiancée by now."

"There are also many other nobles or royals who put off marriage until much later. Why are you so insistent on your brother getting married?"

"I-It's the only thing that I can help him with. He's always so lonely." Noelle said softly as she sank herself a little deeper into the waters. "Ever since I can remember, he had always been there for me. He was there to save me when father physically abused me for being a defect and reminding him too much about mother. He was there to defend me from Nebra's and Solid's insults. He was the only one who encouraged me and then taught me more about magic in order to help me overcome my problems. He had done everything for me and yet I cannot do anything for him in return. His life had always revolved around me, going to the point that he hardly thinks about himself anymore. I-I thought that if I can help him find a woman that he likes, then he wouldn't be so… _lonely_, because there will now be another someone that will always be by his side. Big brother rarely speaks with anyone other than big brother Fu and they don't even meet up that often since big brother Fu is always so busy. Uncle Julius, Yami, William, and even creepy Jack only got to know him by chance several months after we were exiled. Big brother doesn't really have anyone else other than me because all his time is spent taking care of me. It is my fault that he has no one else by his side and I don't know what to do to help him."

"I think you being there for your brother is enough thanks for him." Charlotte said reassuringly as she gently pulled the little girl closer to her with a hug. "He obviously loves you very, very much."

"I-I know." Noelle choked out. "But he needs to care more about himself. It just isn't right for him to sacrifice everything for me. He had already sacrificed enough. If it wasn't for me, his relationship with father wouldn't have soured. He might not have gotten himself exiled. If it wasn't for me, mother would have been alive and big brother do not need to look so sad every time he thought about her. I-If it wasn't for me, big brother could have been so much greater instead of just being a normal treasure hunter. He could have been the strongest Magic Knight! I-I have been nothing but a burden to him! I want to be able to do **_something_** for him!"

Charlotte can only offer her shoulder for the girl to cry on. There's nothing she can do about this as an outsider. The best she can do is to offer a listening ear.

"Big brother deserves to be recognised! I _know_ he can be the strongest Magic Knight! He always said that he has no desire to be one because he is disappointed in the state of the country and the nobles leading it, but I know that isn't the real reason! Because he doesn't want me to worry about him, he never speaks the truth about what he truly wants! I had asked him many times if he is truly happy in being just a normal treasure hunter and he keeps reassuring me that he is, but I know he is _always_ lying to me! I know he is always lying when he rejected Uncle Julius's offer to be a Magic Knight! He will never admit the real reason on why he did that because he doesn't want me to think that I am a burden to him! But I also know that he is the one who _really, **really** _wants to change the situation for the better out of everyone I know! I know he **_really_**_ wants to help _Uncle Julius but he is always more worried about me than trying to pursue his dreams! He's worried that no one is able to take care of me if he works as a Magic Knight because he doesn't trust anyone else to do a good job at it! _It's always about **me**_! **_I_** am **_always_** the one _holding him back_! I want to grow strong! I want to grow so strong so that big brother need not worry about me all the time and he can feel free to do whatever he wants! I want to make him proud and show the world that _he is right_ and show my family that _they are wrong_, that I am **not a defect**! I-I-"

"Shh, it's alright. Let it out. Let it all out." Charlotte whispered as she stroked the girl's head tenderly with a hand, letting her cry everything out. Just how much had Noelle suffered in her own home before Nozel took her away? Just what had she been through for her to gain such maturity at such a young age? And beating her up just because she is a 'defect' as a mage? Just _what_ was Noelle's father thinking?!

Nozel definitely did the right thing to take Noelle away from the Silva house. At least the little girl need not grow up in such an oppressive environment anymore.

"I-I-I just want big brother to k-know that I can take care of myself. T-That he d-doesn't need to keep worrying about m-me and he can do w-whatever he wants to do. I don't want to hold him back. I-I-!"

Charlotte found herself at a loss of words to say to the girl crying in her arms. What can she say?

When Noelle had finally cried herself to sleep and Charlotte tucked her into bed, Charlotte made a resolve. The least she can do to help her saviour is to help him achieve his dream. He had saved her and her family from that dreadful curse, it is only right that she provides him her aid in any way she can. The Roselei house owes him a life debt.

She will repay the debt. She swears on it as a member of the Roselei house.

* * *

Nozel and her father are still conversing with each other at a balcony on the second floor of the mansion when she found them.

"Oh, Charlotte. You haven't gone to bed yet?"

"The night is still too early for me to turn in, father." Charlotte replied in the way she was taught to reply as a noblewoman ever since she is old enough to learn. She then turned to Nozel. "Noelle had already turned in, in case you are wondering."

"Thank you. My sister hasn't been giving you any trouble, has she? She can be a handful."

"None at all. She is a sweet little girl."

"Well, this old man will leave you youngsters alone. My age is catching up to me and I need my sleep." Her father did a stretch and his bones audibly popped as he did so. Her father let out a satisfied sigh at the sound. "Good night, Nozel, Charlotte."

Nozel stood up as he replied to her father.

"Good night to you, Lord Roselei."

"Good night, father."

Charlotte stood beside Nozel the moment her father made his leave. The two of them enjoyed the cool night breeze from where they are at, leaning against the railings of the balcony overlooking the Roselei's rose garden.

"Noelle told me that you want to be a Magic Knight."

"That isn't true."

"She also told me that you will never admit it when asked. Give your sister a little more credit. She is a lot more perceptive than she looks."

Nozel gave a huff, but there is no hiding the fondness in it.

"She has always been a smart girl. Should have known better than to hide it from her. Her perceptiveness is just like her mother. So scarily sharp."

"Taking care of her and being a Magic Knight are not mutually exclusive. You can be a Magic Knight while taking care of her at the same time."

"I don't trust anyone to take care of her in my stead if I'm busy with work." Nozel stated bluntly. "If I had become a Magic Knight, who knows how much worse the treatment my father and my other siblings would have gave her the moment I leave for missions. I have to be there to protect her. I promised my mother that I would protect my siblings, especially Noelle. And when that man suddenly exiled us, I have to ensure that I earn enough to support us both so that we don't starve to death. Becoming a Magic Knight back then wasn't an option because there will be absolutely no one left to care for her. Becoming a Magic Knight also means that we have to continue staying in the Royal Capital and I am not risking any chance, no matter how slim it is, for my family to hunt us down and do who-knows-what to her the moment I lower my guard. I will never let Noelle get hurt. Mother had sacrificed her life to bring Noelle into this world and I intend to not let her sacrifice go to waste. Noelle will grow up to be an extremely strong mage, I know it. She just needs a little more time than most."

"And for that end, you sacrificed your own dream."

"I did want to help people as a Magic Knight when I was young." Nozel admitted as he stared ahead into the night sky. "I had fallen in love with magic when I first saw my mother using it. Isn't it every boy's dream to be a Magic Knight? To be able to fight monsters and save people with magic, saving princesses and slaying dragons and then ultimately be a hero whose name will be sung for generations to come. It is every boy's fantasy. And then I saw the corrupt state of this country. When I looked deeper, I got discouraged because no matter how I see it, this country is already beyond saving. There is no point in becoming a Magic Knight with Clover's current state."

Her heart clenched a little tighter when he saw the look on his face, like he had forcefully persuaded himself against becoming a Magic Knight. However, she knows that the hope in his eyes is not totally gone yet. There is still something in his heart that he is desperately clinging on to. His passion to help people is like the remnants of a dying flame that is stubbornly kept alive no matter how hard he tried to snuff it out. He is someone that is willing to go out of his way to serve and help people who needs his strength. Despite his cold exterior, there is no doubt in her heart that her saviour is a kind man. Why else would he risk his life to try and stop her curse?

He just needs someone to give him a little push in the right direction. All he needs is a little encouragement and help of the right kind. He would make such a fine Magic Knight. He can definitely be a Magic Knight far greater than what she can ever be.

"You are full of contradictions, Nozel."

Her words got his full attention, so she continues to speak.

"You say that you don't see a point in being a Magic Knight, but yet you are the one who has the strongest desire to help change things for the better. I can feel it in your voice. It is the same selfless tone that Captain Julius has. Noelle had felt it too. You can deny all you want, but you can never lie to yourself. No matter how you convince yourself that it is not worth it, you still want to try helping people as a Magic Knight and to change things for the better. It is who you truly are. Deep down, you are a kind man."

She was a little afraid that she had offended him with her words, but she felt that he needed to hear this.

Whatever reactions she was expecting, she wasn't expecting him to laugh. It was a small chuckle at first, and then it gradually got louder until the usually quiet man exploded into full blown laughter. It took him a while to finally calm himself down.

"… You remind me a little about my mother. Some of the things you said were almost the exact same words she had told me when I was young."

"H-Huh?"

Charlotte stammered a little at the sudden change in topic. She briefly touched her cheeks. Good, her face hasn't heated up yet. Hopefully, the dim moonlight is enough to hide whatever blush that might creep up on her face should it come up later.

"When I was young, I asked her why I should be a Magic Knight if the leaders of the country are so corrupt. She had said that this is something that I can only experience for myself, what it means to be a Magic Knight. I think I can understand a little of what she said after I helped the few that I could in my journey. It happened not long after Noelle and I got exiled from our house when we helped saved some villagers from a pack of wolves. There is an indescribable joy in being able to help people. It is something that you can only receive after you had given. Seeing the smile on their faces makes me feel that everything was worth it no matter how tiring it was. That feeling is something that I will never trade for anything in the world. Mother said the same thing as you, that I can deny all I want but in the end, it is me that has the strongest desire to help change things for the better. Back then, only mother shared the same view as me, that magic should be used to help mankind progress, not as a benchmark to discriminate others."

Nozel gave a dry laugh as if mocking himself.

"I guess you are right. There's no point in lying to myself. If even Noelle can tell that much, I guess I am not cut out to be an actor."

"Your sister is just too kind and perceptive. She understands you best because she loves and looks up to you a lot. She grew up watching you. You are her role model."

"I guess so."

The two of them continue to spend a few more minutes in comfortable silence, letting the gentle night breeze pass by.

"Thank you, Charlotte."

"It's nothing." Charlotte said with a smile before another idea pops into her head. "Actually, if your sister's well-being is your main concern on why you hold back on becoming a Magic Knight, my family can help with your situation."

That got Nozel's immediate attention, so she continues with explaining her idea.

"My family can help look after Noelle in your stead whenever you got too busy with work. I'm sure my parents will agree to help. We had only just met and I have nothing else I can use to back my words, but trust me when I say that you can trust us to look after your little sister. We can help take care of her when you are too busy to do so as a Magic Knight."

"Charlotte, my family would not take upon this kindly if they caught wind of this." Nozel voiced his concern with a frown. "I don't want Noelle and I to be the reason for any fallouts between the Silva and Roselei house. This is the reason why I never troubled Fuegoleon even when I needed his help. Even till now, the Vermillion and Silva house falling out with each other will only bring trouble to Clover. I don't want something like that to happen between our houses."

"Your family and mine had never been overly close with each other to begin with." Charlotte dismissed Nozel's worry with a casual shrug. "No offense, but ever since Lady Acier passed away some years back, your father hasn't really been in a right state of mind. Some of his decisions and propositions in court are a little… _questionable_. There are already other nobles who are petitioning for him to step down from his position, saying that his current mental condition is not fit enough for him to lead the Silva house. Of course, your father had responded just as fiercely. Your other siblings are also not yet ready to take up the mantle to be the next head of the house since they are a little too young, so the problem is left unsolved as it is."

"I could care less what happens to that man." Nozel said in disdain, his voice nearly dripping in venom. "But I won't let him drag the Silva house down with him. Mother had poured a lifetime worth of effort to ensure the Silva house remains standing. I won't let her sacrifices be in vain."

"My offer still stands. We can help look after Noelle for you, it is the least we can do as thanks. You might have seen it as something inconsequential, but you have no idea how tormenting the curse was to our family. I had been fighting it my entire life and I lost. I don't want to imagine what that curse would have done to me and my parents if you hadn't arrived when you did."

"I'm sure people like Yami or William would have done the same. Fu would never let something like this happen in front of his eyes without trying to do something to stop it. I just happen to be in the right place at the right time."

"And _you_ were the person that was there at the right place at the right time. **_You_**, not them. Thank you, Nozel, for saving me and my family." Charlotte said with a smile on her face. "What you did was what a true Magic Knight would have done."

"Magic Knight, huh?" Nozel whispered to himself but Charlotte is able to pick out his words due to how quiet their surroundings are. "Noelle will be ecstatic if I become one."

"She definitely will."

"Becoming a Magic Knight has always been her dream. She had always told me how we would stand alongside each other as Magic Knights and kick any enemies we face from the Royal City all the way to the sea."

Charlotte gave a light laugh. Words that came out from the mouths of children never fails to amuse her.

"I take it that you agree to my proposition?"

"A little late for me to back out now, isn't it? After all that we confided to each other tonight."

Charlotte laughed once more at the remark. When was the last time she had a good laugh? When was the last time she felt so relaxed? When was the last time she shed her armour and walked around her house in a simple dress instead of her battle gear? She didn't realise how the burden of her curse weighed so much on her until it was lifted. If it wasn't for Nozel, she might not have been able to experience this feeling of liberation. She is now able to see things in a new light. It is like a veil had been lifted from her eyes.

She idly fiddled with the ends of her hair as they both made small talk. She told him about her experiences with the Magic Knights while he told her about his travels and the various dungeons he had explored with Noelle. When it got too late, they both headed back to their respective rooms to turn in for the night with their hearts feeling a little lighter.

Charlotte smiled as she quietly tucked herself into her bed next to Noelle, taking extra care not to wake the sleeping girl up. He never said another word about it, but she is sure that starting from tomorrow, the Magic Knights will witness the addition of a talented mage into its ranks.

Starting from tomorrow, one of the greatest men she knew will take his first steps to help change the world for the better.

* * *

"Damn it Yami! Stop stealing my beer!"

"What? Sharing is caring, you lanky bastard. Consider it as payment for being your punching bag for today." Yami said lazily as he drank a huge gulp from the stolen beer bottle while lying sideways on a couch. "Learn to share a little. Sharing is caring."

"That's it! I'm cutting you up!"

"Oh? Are you sure _you can_, you little insect? You aren't that strong seeing as how Nozel defeated you without even needing to take a single step."

William deflated as he rubbed the side of his head with his knuckle, trying to ease the incoming migraine as Yami and Jack came to blows. Jack had barged into the Grey Deer's HQ, demanding Yami to be his sparring partner so that Jack can improve himself before he inevitably challenges Nozel for a rematch. Yami was more than happy to oblige if it means having a chance to knock Jack down a peg or two.

However, it is now up to _him_ to deal with the mess left by those two hyperactive trigger-happy idiots. Where is Fuegoleon and Captain Julius when he needs them the most?!

The swirl of liquid silver from his peripheral caught his attention as it coalesces and took the form of a familiar figure.

"Nozel?"

"William." Nozel greeted him back but William cannot help but feel baffled. Why had Nozel come all the way to the Grey Deer's HQ? And _how_ did he sneak past the rest of his squad members undetected?

"Do you know where Julius is?"

"I don't have an exact idea, but I know how to get him here." William replied as he flared his magic in two short rapid pulses. It is a secret code between him and Captain Julius should he need his Captain immediately in case there is an emergency. The fact that Nozel had _willingly_ seek their Captain out is probably a good enough reason to classify this as an emergency.

Like he expected, Captain Julius appeared in a blink beside him a few seconds later. Captain Julius's Time Magic never fails to amaze him. The high-speed movement thanks to his Time Magic is almost akin to teleportation.

"William, what's wrong? And Nozel! It's good to see you! What brings you here to our humble abode today?"

"Oi, silver bastard! I want a rematch!"

Ignoring Jack, Nozel simply sport a near unnoticeable smile on his face as he turned towards Captain Julius. His next sentence made Captain Julius giddy with joy for the rest of the day.

"Where can I sign up to be a Magic Knight?"

* * *

**AN: This is probably one of the longest chapters I had written in a long while, but I felt that this chapter is also likely one of the most important chapter in KISA since it really shows what the main characters are as a person. Especially so for the scenes where Charlotte talked to Noelle and then encouraging Nozel to pursue his not-so-secret dream. Editing this chapter was really hard as I have to make sure that I do not simply dump dialogues after dialogues and leave the entire thing as one big uncut paragraph. It took up a lot of my time but I think this was worth it.**

**Hopefully you guys will grow to love this chapter as much as I do. As usual, hope you guys enjoyed the story.**


	5. Chapter 5- Dance

"Are you done yet?"

"Just a little longer! Sit still!"

Noelle concentrate as hard as she could, her hands working skillfully to braid her brother's hair into his signature hairdo. It is the hairdo that their mother had done for him and is something that her big brother had kept to this day, even if he was never a fan of it.

"I think mother wanted you to look like an eagle." Noelle said in realisation as she suddenly understood why her mother had done her brother's hair in such a weird way. "Look! With the braid hanging down at the centre in the front, it looks like an eagle's beak! It's like you are wearing an eagle-shaped helmet with the way your hair is done! You have silver hair too! Silver hair and eagle-styled hair makes you a Silver Eagle!"

"That… I certainly didn't think of such a possibility. You may be right." Her big brother said in agreement as he waited patiently for her to finish braiding his hair. "She may have wanted me to be a part of Silver Eagle."

"She definitely did! But you already joined the Grey Deer!"

"I can always transfer myself over to the Silver Eagle in the future. Since I am already a Magic Knight, I might as well be the very best and aim to be a Captain. In that case, I want to be the Captain of the Silver Eagle, the squad which mother once led."

"And big sis Charlotte can be the Captain of Blue Rose! She's definitely strong enough!"

"That she is." Her brother admitted as he let her talk about whatever she wants, opting to play the role of the quiet listener instead. He is not a man of many words and only spoke more than a few sentences to those who he trusts. If it were anyone else, he wouldn't even have bothered to talk to them unless he has to.

That is why she was so surprised when her brother is actually able to hold a conversation with her big sis Charlotte despite only knowing her for only two weeks. She trusts her big sis Charlotte, but that is how **_she_** feels. It is uncharacteristic of her brother to talk so much to someone they only just knew (_by his standards, that is_) or to show that amount of trust that he will usually never display.

Is there _something _going on between the two of them? Hmm…

This bears investigation. Time to find out.

"Do you like big sis Charlotte?"

"If you are talking about romantic love, then no." Her brother replied with slight annoyance, but she knows he is just using an annoyed tone to get her to stop probing about his love life. Or in this case, the lack thereof.

"You rarely talk so much to anyone else, but you only knew big sis Charlotte for only two weeks and you two can actually talk for hours! _HOURS!_"

"Her presence does not annoy me."

"So does William, Yami, and big brother Fu, but you don't even speak that much to them even when you are good friends! You like big sis Charlotte, don't you?"

"I'm too lazy to argue otherwise because it will take up the entire day to do so." Her brother drawled out as she applied the finishing touches to his hair. He stood up and wears his mantle over his shirt. The crest of his squad can be seen on the mantle, the crest of the Grey Deer.

"You like big sis Charlotte, just _admit _it!" Noelle accused with her finger pointing at her big brother. To his credit, he only looked at her with a very unimpressed look on his face.

"We are just good friends who happen to have several common topics to talk about and are able to tolerate each other's presence. That's all." Her brother spoke in his usual monotone before ruffling her hair with a hand. "I will return late tonight, so don't wait up for me. Don't cause any trouble for the Roselei, ok?"

"Don't talk as if I am a troublemaker! I am a good girl!"

Her brother gave her an amused smirk and they both walked out of his room. She walked him to the front of the Roselei mansion. The two of them are now staying in the Roselei mansion indefinitely as their guests. Her brother didn't want to inconvenience them, but Lord Roselei had put up a very convincing argument that left no room for her brother to argue otherwise.

According to Lord Roselei, they had owed Nozel a life debt and it is only proper for them to repay it in full. For a respectful noble family like them, housing another two more people in their big mansion is definitely not an issue. This arrangement is also easier for the Roselei house to look after her when her big brother is off beating up bad guys and saving Clover as a Magic Knight.

She still cannot believe it. Her awesome big brother is a Magic Knight! _He is finally a Magic Knight!_

Them staying with the Roselei also meant that there are many opportunities for them to interact with them. Both Lord and Lady Roselei are both very welcoming of them and the siblings treat them with the same respect. Noelle knows that the two elders are fond of her and would have spoiled her rotten if they were allowed to have their way. However, her big brother had raised her to be a strong girl that does not need to be pampered. He is the one person that she will never want to disappoint. She still insists on trying to do things herself, only asking for help if she really needs it. She does not need a silver-spoon upbringing even if she sometimes purposely acts like a spoiled little girl, since it somehow brightens up the Roselei's day whenever she does so. Especially Lord and Lady Roselei, they really need to stop trying to spoil her.

Still, the patriarch and matriarch of the Roselei house are busy people. Most of the time, the Roselei who Noelle and her brother talks to the most is her big sis Charlotte.

Their conversations aren't anything exciting, but it felt normal. It felt as if their conversations are what normal conversations between family members should be. She cannot help but wonder that if her mother was still alive and if their father wasn't so mentally unstable, would this be what their family could be? Would what she felt interacting with big sis Charlotte be what she would feel if her other two older siblings really treat her as their sister? Would what she felt talking to the two Roselei elders be something similar to how she would feel when she talked to her parents? Parents who actually love her? Would she still purposely act like a spoiled little girl in front of them or will she behave like a mature child to get their praise? How will her parents respond? Will they try to spoil her, or will they reprimand her? What would her mother say? If her father's mind was not so devastated by their mother's death, how much different would he be?

She will never know.

She knows that deep down, her big brother has some regrets as well. She knows that her big brother felt that he wasn't a good older brother to them and felt guilty for it. He regretted not spending more time with them and that he should at least have tried better to convince them that the supremist thinking they have is undesirable. Solid was only eight when they left, still an impressionable child. Her big brother said that Nebra was old enough by then to be entitled to her own thinking, but he had regretted not spending more time with Solid. Nozel had admitted that much to her and big sis Charlotte during one of their nightly conversations after he drank a glass too many, because his alcohol tolerance is astoundingly poor.

Nozel knew that in some ways, Solid had looked up to him. He had said that if he had done more, maybe Solid could grow to be a better man than their father. He had also admitted that he is afraid that his exile from their family might have left negative impacts on Solid's mind. It was a side of her big brother that she had never seen before.

Somehow, Charlotte's presence always allowed her big brother to be more open about himself. Other than herself, Noelle had never seen her big brother acted in front of another like this before. He had never been so relaxed in another's presence that is not her or big brother Fu. They never seem to run out of topics to talk about, even if both of them are quiet individuals. She can tell that both of them enjoy the other's presence. Is it because they both secretly like each other? She knows big sis Charlotte does, but she can never tell with her big brother. His poker face is just too good for anyone to get a good read on, even for her.

Whatever the reason may be, she is just glad that her big brother had found another person to trust. Somehow, they both know that Charlotte Roselei is someone that they can both put their trust in. The sincerity behind her words and the warmth behind her actions are not fake. They can tell that much.

"Why are you returning late tonight anyway?" Noelle asked curiously. Her big brother had rarely left her alone unless necessary.

"Charlotte has to attend a ball that one of the noble families had organised, and she needs a partner for the night. She asked me to accompany her and I agreed."

_"Awwwwwwww!"_

"Quit it." Nozel flicked his fingers against her forehead to get Noelle to stop cooing over nothing. "It's not whatever you are thinking. We do owe them for housing us here. I am simply repaying the favour."

"_Suuuuurreeee_."

"Remember to complete your homework. I will check them tomorrow."

"_Big brother!_ **_More_** homework?!"

"Yes. You have been playing too much recently."

"I did not!"

"Don't make me increase your homework, Noelle."

_"Big brother!"_

* * *

What possessed her to ask Nozel out to come to the ball with her? She is not yet ready for this!

"My Lady? Are you alright? Is this dress not suitable?"

Charlotte frowned a little as she used the mirror in front of her to check the dress she is currently wearing. This is the 16th dress she is trying out and while all the dresses she tried out thus far are pretty, none of them felt right.

_What if it's ugly? What if he dislikes it? Wait, why is she so obsessed with what **he **would think of her dress? Why is she so distracted just by the mere thought of **him**?_

Noelle couldn't be right, could she? Yes, Nozel is amazingly handsome, powerful, and gentle. Yes, he has her full respect for what he did for Noelle and his capabilities as a warrior. Yes, he had left a great impression on her from the very first time they met when her powers went berserk till where they are now, but…

She couldn't have **_really _**fallen for him in this short amount of time, right?

_Right?_

"No, it's fine." She replied to the maid's question with a sigh, trying not to show how nervous she really is. Objectively speaking, her current dress is beautiful. Also, time is running out and she really has to get going before she's late. There's no time to go through her wardrobe again.

Grabbing her stuff, she turned to exit her room. She walked down to the front door where a carriage is already right there and waiting for her.

She saw him.

"N-Nozel!"

"Charlotte." The silver-haired knight walked up to her, already impressively dressed for the occasion. "You look stunning."

"R-Really?" She asked as she checked herself once more, her hand unconsciously going up to her hair. Did Nozel really like seeing her like this?

Nozel gave a small nod of his head as he helped her up the carriage. By the time her mind started working again, the carriage is already being pulled along by the horses with the driver steering them to their destination. At this point, there's only one thought going through Charlotte's mind.

_Why's her heart beating so fast?!_

* * *

The ball went without a hitch, or at least as much as her mind can possibly register in her dazed state. The entire duration from the start of the carriage ride all the way till now had been mostly her body being on autopilot. From getting down from the carriage with Nozel's help, who plays the role of the perfect gentleman and date like he is, to greeting members of royalty and nobility alike who are of importance to Clover.

A ball like this is nothing but an event that perpetuates social exclusivity. However, as the daughter of House Roselei, she has a duty to fulfil no matter how distracted she is right now. A ball is a social gathering for people of influence to get to know each other better, forming political alliances and partnerships.

Right now, it is her duty to at least maintain her house's political ties with the other noble houses.

Throughout this entire time, Nozel was by her side, although he simply remained silent unless spoken to. Even when she can always feel his constant presence beside her, he was a man of few words. Most of the time, what he did was to remain silently by her side, maybe nodding his head in acknowledgement once or twice towards certain individuals who had recognised him. He never referred to himself as a Silva, but merely introduced himself as 'Nozel'.

Attendees of the ball didn't particularly take special care to inconspicuously talk about him behind his back. Words like 'exile' and 'disgrace' were carelessly thrown out, many times on purpose. Some of them even had the discourtesy to raise the volume of their voice whenever he was nearby, talking loudly about the disgraced and exiled royalty of the Silva House.

It was then Charlotte realised that inviting Nozel here to be her partner for the night was a _really _bad move. She should have given more thought towards this issue.

"Don't zone out." She was shaken out of her thoughts when Nozel subtly nudged her without giving anything away, eyes still looking ahead as she walked around greeting people of importance. "Ignore what they are saying. If even I'm not affected by the rubbish they said, then you shouldn't be too."

"But-"

"I appreciate the sentiment, Charlotte, but I'm fine. If I couldn't even handle something insignificant like this, then I wouldn't have taken up on your offer to accompany you here. You are your house's representative for tonight, Lady Charlotte Roselei. Look the part."

She subconsciously straightened her back and readjusted her posture upon his words. He's right. Nozel knew what he would be getting into the moment he accepted her invitation. She shouldn't be worried about him.

"Besides, with him around, those annoying flies will stop their yapping for at least a short while."

Charlotte looked at where Nozel had subtly gestured with a slight jerk of his head. She spotted Fuegoleon Vermillion making his appearance as he walked in through the front door.

"Nozel!"

Fuegoleon walked towards them excitedly with a large smile on his face, forgoing all formalities as he embraced Nozel in a brotherly hug, which Nozel returned in a more reserved manner. Fuegoleon and Nozel were good friends long before Nozel's exile and that relationship never changed even after that, that is a well-known fact among their social circle.

"What a surprise! I wasn't expecting you to be here! Did Charlotte drag you here? Must be it!"

"I accepted the invitation of my own free will. I'm capable of social interaction, thank you very much." Nozel replied dryly, totally unimpressed at Fuegoleon's subtle jab about his aloof behaviour.

"Lady Roselei." Fuegoleon bowed politely towards her as per social custom, a gesture which she returned in kind.

"Lord Vermillion." She returned in kind. While there aren't that many formalities in the Magic Knights and Magic Knights aren't really uptight about formalities in the first place, they are currently attending a ball specially organised for royalties and nobles. Certain things have to be followed and observed while they are under the gaze of the public eye because they are now attending the event in the capacity as a representative of their houses, not as a Magic Knight.

"Here's a toast to you, Nozel, for accepting Captain Julius' offer on becoming a Magic Knight!" Fuegoleon laughed heartily as he purposely spoke and clinked his glass against Nozel's a little louder than necessary, catching people's attention. "I heard that because of your contributions, the Grey Deers ranking jumped drastically the moment you joined! You are really a splendid knight, my friend!"

"Just doing my job." Nozel accepted the praise, although Charlotte can already somehow hear his mental sigh and noticed the slight dip in his shoulders as he accepted Fuegoleon's words in fond exasperation. It's obvious Fuegoleon is trying to help paint a better picture of Nozel in the eyes of the other nobles. As a Vermillion and the first son, Fuegoleon's words hold a lot of weight and power.

Charlotte knows Nozel enough to know that Nozel couldn't be bothered to bring himself to care what other people think about him, but he accepted his friend's help anyway because Fuegoleon is doing so out of goodwill. She knows that if the situation were reversed, Nozel would have done the same for Fuegoleon too. That's how good their relationship is.

"Where's Mereoleona? Still training somewhere out there in the wilderness like a madman?" Nozel made small talk as the three of them retreat to a corner of the hall while he sipped a little on his wine.

"Oh, you know her." Fuegoleon chuckled at the mention of his sister. "Even father and mother have no exact idea on where she is now. For all we know she may be hunting a tiger down for her night snack."

"Sounds like something she would do."

"Hey, you don't come to a ball and then just drink a _sip_." Fuegoleon said with a disapproving frown before downing his entire glass in the most aristocratic way possible. "Drink _more_."

"You know how bad I am at holding my liquor."

"Make things all the more fun. Isn't that right, Charlotte?"

Charlotte merely giggled as she tried her best to cover her laughter. She knows how _bad _Nozel is in holding his liquor. Just half a glass can already make him tipsy and his lips a little loose. Drinking an entire cup in one go simply knocks him out. She saw how Noelle played a prank once by somehow managing to force feed her brother with an entire glass of wine, _somehow_.

Not like Charlotte has the right to criticise Nozel's lack of tolerance to alcohol. Hers is even worse.

Fuegoleon walked off to greet the other guests after a short while, leaving the two of them alone. Her eyes ended up straying to where the dance floor is and her gaze lingered there for a little longer than necessary.

A hand came into her view, breaking her out of her reverie.

"May I?"

She was momentarily stunned, but managed to recover fast enough to place her hand on his, accepting his invitation. She felt heat surging to her cheeks but she adamantly blamed it all on the few scant sips of alcohol which she had consumed during her time here.

Her face is _definitely _not feeling hot because Nozel is currently leading her to the dance floor. **_Definitely not._**

With the orchestra at the side playing a melodious tune, she felt his hand on her waist as they slowly moved themselves in a slow rhythm, unanimously deciding to forgo the excitement as she let him set the pace. She realised that for some reason, her mind is starting to lose the ability to think properly again and all she can do is to let her body go on autopilot once more as they continue to dance.

At least Noelle is not here to see her red face. That little girl would no doubt tease her mercilessly if she did.

"Are you feeling unwell? Your face is red."

"N-No! I'm fine!" She quickly pushed his worries away, sneaking a few glances upwards and spotting the very slight worried frown between his eyes.

She doesn't want this moment to end just yet.

Like many others currently dancing on the floor, they continue to sway themselves to the music and continue their slow dance in the ballroom. She knows that he had purposely slowed down the pace even further because he is worried that she might really be feeling unwell from how red her face is. She has no mirror on her currently to check just _how _red it is, but she can _feel _the literal heat emanating off it.

What a sight this must be.

As if sensing her thoughts, Nozel took the initiative and gracefully ended their dance before leading her off the dance floor. He thoughtfully got her a glass of water as they both made their quiet exit out of the ballroom, finding an isolated spot to rest in the large maze of flower garden outside.

At least the cool breeze here should help lower the heat on her face.

"If you're feeling unwell, you should have just told me." He told her as they both found themselves a seat on a quiet bench outside, hearing the chirps of insects and birds with a slight gale of breeze blowing past them from time to time. Their eyes took in the beautiful scenery in front of them as she sat on his right without looking at each other.

"I-It's just the wine." She insisted immediately. Alcohol is definitely a big influence, but she's also _never _going to admit that just the mere act of dancing with this man is enough to shut most of her mental faculties down and make her a blushing mess. "My face just turns red easily if I so much as take a single sip of it. I'm… not drunk."

She made sure to subtly turn her head back to face her front when she found it tilting away from him while she was giving that blatant lie. She is already starting to feel a little lightheaded, but she's _never, ever,_ going to admit that she is indeed a little tipsy from just a sip or two of the wine.

Why is her alcohol tolerance so pitifully low?

Nozel let out a low hum, showing that he accepted her explanation. However, she can see from the peripheral of her vision that the edge of his lips are twitching upwards ever so slightly, as if he is making a conscious effort to not let out a knowing smirk.

"I'm **_not _**drunk."

"I know."

That miniscule and near unobservable twitching is still there. Not only that, there is a slight gleam in his eyes that conveys to her that he is not buying her explanation. Not one bit.

She saw his eyes glancing to his left where the route taken by the guests to reach the ballroom can be easily seen from their current position, but well-hidden from view by anybody else on that route. Her gaze followed his line of sight until she spotted two people with the same shade of silver hair making their way into the ballroom.

Nebra Silva and Solid Silva.

"Solid had grown a little." She heard him murmuring under his breath. "He wasn't that tall when I last saw him."

She became a little more sober upon hearing that. Her hand reached out for him on instinct, but it hung in midair when she realised what she is doing.

In slight hesitation, she decided to follow her gut feeling and gently placed her hand over his before giving a light squeeze.

"You are not a bad brother." She spoke, somehow not daring to face him as her eyes decided to look anywhere else but his face. "Noelle had a happier childhood because of you."

She heard a soft sigh.

"Maybe I'm a good brother to Noelle, but I'm not one to Solid or Nebra."

She slowly picked up the courage to let her eyes trail upwards before slowly seeing his face, an unreadable look in his eyes.

"I'm the only one among the four of us to inherit the steel quality of Mother's magic. I promised her that I will use it to protect my siblings, because it's my responsibility as the eldest." There was a brief pause as a breeze blew past them again. "Yes, I protected Noelle, but in doing so I'm now not in a position to protect Solid or Nebra if they ever need my protection. In a way, I had already failed my promise to mother."

"Maybe they will never need it."

"Hopefully."

Maybe it's the influence of alcohol, but she doesn't know what came over her at that moment. She just knew that her left hand ended up cupping the right side of his face, catching his attention.

"You, Nozel, are the most responsible man I ever have the honour to know. Your self-doubts are there because you are a good man and an even better brother. Don't worry too much about what you could have done better. Focus more on what you have already achieved, and are planning to surpass in the future. That's the Nozel that Noelle and I know."

The upward lifting of the edge of his lips is a little more obvious now.

"What an uplifting speech. You really have a way with words, Charlotte. Are you sure you are not a Captain yet?"

The grin on her face is unmistakable.

"Last I check, no."

Even in her lightheaded and slightly tipsy state, she cannot help but think.

Since when had she been so cheeky with anyone else? When was the last time she had done so?

"Come." She stood up and with her hands holding both of his, got him to stand as well. She half-dragged him to a larger clearing in the garden, out of sight unless people come to specifically look for them. She knows that right now, he is not yet ready for a face-to-face meeting with any of his other siblings or his father. In that case, then she will make sure that they won't meet during their entire evening here.

That doesn't mean that they cannot enjoy this evening, just the two of them.

She raised her eyebrows at him in an obvious manner of expectance. He gave a look at their surroundings.

"Here?"

"Yes."

For her to be so bold and out of character tonight, the alcohol content in her wine must be stronger than the usual stuff she usually drinks at home to try and increase her alcohol tolerance. That must be it.

That _definitely _must be it.

Nozel didn't bother to hide the amused look on his face this time. Like the gentleman he is, he put his left hand behind his back while holding his right hand out to her, bowing down slightly in her direction.

"May I have the pleasure of this dance with you?"

She found herself putting her hand on his, also not bothering to hide the smile on her face. This time, she's sure that her face is not a blooming scarlet red.

Once again, a slow and simple dance is what they unanimously decided on the moment his hand was on her waist and hers on his. There's no music to be found here, but the chirping of insects and the singing of birds under the starry night made a very good substitute too.

"You know, this isn't so bad. You are quite a good dancer. I cannot remember the last time I actually enjoyed a dance. I picked the correct date tonight, it seems."

"I'm flattered you think so highly of me, Lady Roselei."

"As you should be. At least you are better than father when it comes to dancing. I can still remember mother trying to teach me how to dance when I was just a little girl, and father was unfortunate enough to be my dance partner during the practices. He kept stepping on my toes."

"I imagine that your mother has a lot to say about him whenever the two of them had to dance."

She chuckled in fond memory.

"Definitely. I grew up hearing about it all the time, but I know they still danced frequently anyway, just that they did it in the privacy of their room so that I wouldn't find out about it. Father doesn't like anybody pointing out about his lack of skills in this particular form of art."

"I take it that you also like dancing?"

"Only as a hobby, but I never really had the time ever since I joined the Magic Knights." She admitted. "I don't really have a partner to dance with either and father is just bad at it. Most of the time I only dance in social gatherings like this, and my date for the night may or may not be good at it."

"If you don't mind an exiled royalty being your dance partner, I'm always up for a twirl or two." He said just as he made her do a twirl. "I'm also thinking it's about time I start to introduce Noelle to the more intricate aspects of social etiquette. We may not be royalty anymore, but that is no excuse to not learn."

"Teaching her will be fun."

"Hearing her whine won't be."

"Not if we tease her about her dancing skills. Together."

"Her singing skills are already bad enough. Heaven forbid if her talent in dancing are the same."

"You don't see us criticising you about your inability to hold your liquor."

"Last I check, yours is worse than mine, Lady Roselei. What would happen if you got yourself incapacitated in a social gathering simply because you accidentally drank a mouthful of wine?"

"Hmm…" She purposely gave a thoughtful hum with a slight tilt of her head, not hiding the amused smile on her face as well. Nozel is far from being an expressive man, but she can tell that whatever expressions on his face right now is as close to a full blown smile as she can get.

"I have you here with me, don't I? My knight in shi- no, my _knight in silver armour_. That's what Noelle always calls you. Knight in Silver Armour."

"I wasn't aware that you have a love for puns."

"But it's fitting, no? At least when you first appeared before me to save me from my curse, that was how you look like in my eyes, especially with your Mercury Magic."

"Knight? _Last I checked_, Lady Roselei, if my memory serves me right, when I first met you I was wearing a cloak made up of… what would _that man _say? _Filthy_ _thread only fitting to be wove into commoner garb_. I'm no knight."

Without thinking, her hand that is holding onto his squeezed gently as her other hand went to gently touch the braid of hair hanging down right at the center of his face. Right now, she has confirmation that whatever she is doing right now is not under the influence of alcohol. Her mind had never been more sober and clear.

She had definitely, hopelessly, utterly, completely, absolutely, fallen for the man in front of her. This man whose facial expressions has the range of a woodblock but possess the heart of an eagle.

"You will make a great knight, Nozel. You already are."

After all, he is her Knight in Silver Armour.


	6. Chapter 6- Mundane

"_Noooozzeeeeeelllllll_!"

Everyone around the silver-haired Magic Knight all laughed out loud at his predicament when they heard their Captain's comical shout and Nozel's resigned sigh. Their Captain burst into the lounge of the Grey Deer seconds later and glomped the irritated Knight affectionately.

"You are a lifesaver! What would I do without you?"

"Captain, I would like to politely request for you to get off me."

"Nozel! Don't be so cold!"

Yami took another puff of his cigarette as he watched the unfolding debacle with a grin. About damn time people took notice of the silver-haired siscon. He had only been in service for half a year and yet he is already raking in Stars left and right like he is a farmer harvesting corns on a field.

"At this rate, we will be ranked as the best squad in the next Star Awards Festival!" Captain Julius said with bright eagerness as he clenched a fist and looked up at the ceiling with blazing determination. "The Grey Deer are so going to win this!"

Their Captain's proclamation got hoots of approval from the squad as they all toasted to his words. He and William looked on with equal anticipation. This is the first time their squad had such an overwhelming advantage over the rest. While their squad has been consistently ranked as one of the top squads every year, they are not always guaranteed a win. This is the first time they had flung all their competitors so far behind that they could barely be seen. There is still half a year before the next festival and Nozel had already earned them enough Stars to the extent that most of the other squads had gave up trying to win the competition.

Captain Julius was right to bring Nozel into the Grey Deer.

Nozel's addition was initially received with mixed reactions. The negative responses were mainly from those who comes from noble and royal families, people who viewed Nozel as a disgrace to the ruling class for getting himself exiled. However, Nozel had set them straight immediately by single handedly beating them into the dirt every single time such negative responses were spat to his face. No one had talked shit about him after that. Nozel is a quiet and patient person, but his temper is something to be wary about the moment his tolerance reached its limit.

Like what the older folks always say, it is always the quiet ones that you have to watch out for.

Nozel is the best candidate their squad has in dungeon-conquering missions. The successful completion of such missions can often take a long time even for an experienced group of Magic Knights. However, Nozel can solo a dungeon with no problems, freeing up a lot of extra manpower that their Captain can assign for other missions that are trickier to deal with. The speed at which Nozel conquered dungeons had earned both himself and the squad many Stars. Conquering a dungeon is a significant matter because they often hold valuable artefacts inside. Acquiring them would mean bolstering the country's strength. It is often an arms race against the other neighbouring countries whenever a newly dungeon emerged along their borders. Historically, there wasn't a clear winner leading the race.

Until Nozel appeared and suddenly, Clover found themselves with a significant lead.

Nozel's mad craze in conquering dungeons one after another without stop is because like him and William, they all wish for their Captain to be selected as the next Magic Emperor. They all believe that Julius Novachrono will be the one that can bring about positive changes for their Kingdom. If Grey Deer is able to consistently produce stellar results, then it will reflect well on their Captain and his leadership abilities. His chances of becoming the next Magic Emperor will be a lot higher if the squad he leads consistently clinched the top spot in every Star Awards Festival.

Hence, the reason why his Captain is so excited right now. Nozel's contributions had earned them _a lot more_ Stars than they usually do and indirectly, significantly increased Captain Julius's chances of becoming the next Magic Emperor.

After the usual hubbub is over and William finally managed to placate their hyperactive Captain to go back to deal with his paperwork, Nozel went back to his room. He emerged with a small bag about ten minutes later.

"You are leaving already?" Yami asked curiously. Didn't Nozel _just_ returned from conquering another dungeon two days ago?

"I'm taking a short break. I promised Noelle that I will be back today."

"Oh right, you are a siscon." Yami said with a look of realisation on his face. Everything the siscon does is somehow related to his little sister. "Well then, bye."

His stoic comrade waved his own farewell before leaving the HQ of the Grey Deer. Yami personally thinks that if his Captain really wants to thank someone for convincing Nozel to join the Magic Knights, he should be doing so to the Roselei house. If it wasn't for them helping Nozel raise his little sister whenever he is too busy to do so, Nozel wouldn't have been convinced to be a Magic Knight and Captain Julius wouldn't have things as easy as they are.

Still, is there anything going on between the siscon and Princess tsun tsun? Like, _anything_ at all? Surely it isn't possible even for someone as stoic as the siscon to _not_ feel anything towards the cold beauty of the Blue Rose? It is as obvious as day that the prickly noblewoman has a thing for the siscon, her knight in shining armour who had saved her from her curse. The story of how the two of them first met is like reading the classic fairy tale of a knight in shining armour saving the damsel in distress, just that this fairy tale is a real tale that actually happened.

Nozel doesn't have a house to stay in at the Royal City and their squad's HQ isn't the best place to raise an impressionable kid which is his little sister. Hence, after many persuasions on the Roselei's part, who are determined to repay their debt to the person that had saved their entire house, they had convinced Nozel to stay at the Roselei's mansion whenever he is off duty and for Noelle to be raised under the care of the Roselei house. This arrangement is also easier for the Roselei house to help Nozel care for Noelle whenever Nozel is off serving their Kingdom.

Maybe he should give the siscon and Princess tsun tsun a little push in the right direction? Not only would that relieve him of his boredom, but it can help to dispel the awkwardness hanging in the air whenever the two of them are seen together. Especially Princess tsun tsun, she needs to stop stuttering and acting like an airhead whenever she is in the siscon's presence. The siscon, on the other hand, looks as if he is totally oblivious to the feelings the Queen of spiny pricks has for him. Yami isn't sure if the siscon is really ignorant of them or if he chose to act unaware.

Oh well, none of his business. He isn't really cut out for this stupid romance crap anyway. He had always been the type to solve everything with his trusty katana. After all, if violence isn't able to help solve your problems, then it can only mean that you are not using it enough.

* * *

"Lord Roselei."

The current head of the Roselei house and father to Charlotte Roselei paused in his tracks and turned around. The royal and noble families had just finished their meeting with the King of the Clover Kingdom. He had barely taken a few steps after the meeting had concluded before someone had called him by his title.

Ah, the head of the Silva house. He can see where this is going now.

"Lord Silva." He greeted coolly as he mentally braced himself for what is to come. This is going to be such a pain. "What can I help you with?"

"You know _full well_ what I am talking to you for." The patriarch of the Silva house hissed in clear hostility. "Do not take me for a fool."

"Then let's not beat about the bush." The leader of the Roselei house said without giving any signs that he is backing down. "_You_ had disowned Nozel and Noelle. They are no longer a part of your house and they are free to do whatever they want. You _no longer_ have any control or hold over them. My house also owes them a life debt by lifting the curse on my daughter. We are repaying it by helping Nozel take care of Noelle whenever he isn't free to do so. I don't see any legal or political repercussions in this arrangement or any reasons for you to have any disagreements."

"They are _my children_, Roselei." Lord Silva growled out. "Even if they are no longer a part of the Silva house, they-"

"How very weird." The Roselei in question looked totally unbothered by the threatening tone used on him as he inspected his nails without a care in the world. "Last I heard from Nozel, _you_ had nearly killed Noelle, _your daughter_, in your rage. If it wasn't for Nozel's intervention, Noelle might have died on her fifth birthday. I am starting to have serious doubts about your claim that Nozel and Noelle are your children from how you had treated them. _I_ certainly don't try and kill Charlotte even when I am angry with her."

This revelation got the many other representatives of the other royal and noble families to murmur among themselves as they watched the public spectacle play out in front of their eyes. Lord Silva is now visibly seething in rage.

"_Watch your tongue_, Roselei. You are but of a _noble_ house while the Silva house hails from the _royal_ families. We can easily squish you like a bug."

"Your threats mean nothing to me, Lord Silva. My house did nothing wrong for us to be persecuted. Your impulsive actions will only bring further shame to your house. Please think thrice before going through your threats for it will definitely not end well for you."

The murmurs had gradually gotten louder and people are starting to point fingers. Seeing that he is at a disadvantageous position, Lord Silva dropped the argument and stormed past him angrily, but not before dropping one last threat.

"I will not let this slide, Roselei."

Lord Roselei is many things, but he is not one to ever back down from a fight. He is not one to back down when the right thing to do is to stand firm in what he believes in.

"I stand by what I said, Lord Silva. My family did not do anything wrong in repaying our life debt to Nozel and Noelle by providing them with a roof over their heads. You can try to take action, but do remember that we will be forced to respond in kind if you do so. The Roselei house may be just a noble family, nothing as impressive as the Silva house, but we will not stand by and watch if acts of injustice were carried out in front of us. That includes such acts committed by royal families. The Roselei house has been diligently protecting the Clover Kingdom for generations and we offer our protection to any citizen that needs it, including exiled royals who had done nothing wrong. The Roselei house will offer Nozel and Noelle their protection for as long as they need it."

Lord Silva continue his march forward towards the exit as he spoke.

"Once a Silva, always a Silva. You cannot keep Nozel and Noelle away from me forever."

"All children will eventually learn how to fly from the safety of their parents' nest as they grow. I am not keeping them away from you, but rather, they are unwilling to return to their nest since they are unwelcomed there. It saddens me that we are unable to come to an understanding on this issue, Lord Silva." Lord Roselei cleared his throat before deciding to add another sentence. He just cannot resist taking another jab at the Head of the Silva house. He wants a perfect finishing touch to the end of this argument.

"Have a good day, Lord Silva, I bid you farewell. I will make sure to take care of your children as if they are my own, so don't worry too much about them."

The sight of Lord Silva nearly exploding into steam was satisfying to watch.

* * *

"Big brother!" Noelle exclaimed happily the moment she spotted her big brother walking through the gates that guard the Roselei mansion. She ran up to him and caught him in a big hug.

"Noelle." Her big brother greeted her with that usual soft smile. He is back! Her big brother is back!

"Look!" Noelle eagerly displayed what she can now do as she summoned some water before manipulating them into various shapes, showing him how much better her control over her magic has grown to be. "I am able to do shape manipulation now!"

"Good job, Noelle." Her brother praised her as per usual whenever she did something worthy of one. There's no hiding the pride in his voice. "Is there anything you want to do today? I have the next few days off."

"Really?" Noelle asked in excitement. Ever since her brother finally decided to do what he truly wants to do and be a Magic Knight, she is seeing lesser and lesser of him. It was a little hard to get used to initially, but she knows that her brother needs to stop obsessing over her well-being and she needs to stop being so dependent on him. Her brother deserves to be recognised for his abilities and where else is more suited for him to shine other than the Magic Knights?

That doesn't make his absence any harder to deal with, but she is her brother's sister. She can deal with a little loneliness. She will show him that she is a big girl now and she can take care of herself, but she will also not miss out on any chance to spend time with her beloved big brother.

"Can we go explore the newly opened bazaar? I haven't got a chance to see it yet!"

Her brother ruffling her hair fondly is the only confirmation she needs.

* * *

"So pretty!"

"If you really want it, I can buy it for you."

Noelle looked back to the brooch in her hand. Something as pretty as this have to be costly, right? She shouldn't burden her brother anymore. She is turning seven and she is a big girl now.

The decision was literally taken out of her hands when her brother suddenly took the brooch and passed it to the vendor to inquire its price. A minute later, the same brooch is pinned to her dress.

Her brother really needs to stop spoiling her.

The bazaar is sprawling with activities and just the sight of it gets Noelle excited, causing her to drag her brother from stall to stall in her enthusiasm. Sometimes it is just to do some window shopping, other times they will grab a bite or two if there are any snacks that look delectable. There are also several stalls that allow them to play some games for a few yul and while she didn't win any of them, the games are fun.

It is fun because she gets to play with her big brother.

"Big sis Charlotte!"

Spotting her older sister figure among the crowd makes her even happier. Charlotte is not her older sister by blood, that honour goes to Nebra, but Charlotte has been more of a big sister to her in this short span of half a year as compared to the five years she had lived in the Silva house with Nebra. Noelle can feel that Charlotte's feelings towards her are genuine, that Charlotte isn't being nice to her out of a sense of duty to repay the 'life debt' her family owes to her brother, but because she really views Noelle as her younger sibling.

"Noelle? N-Nozel?"

Charlotte walked up to them with a look of pleasant surprise on her face. She is dressed in her armour. Is she on duty? And oh, her big sis Charlotte is blushing at her big brother's presence again!

"Big sis! Are you doing window shopping too?"

"I am on duty, Noelle." Charlotte responded with a laugh as she ruffled the hair on Noelle's head with affection. "Members of the Blue Rose take turns to patrol these streets regularly. It is my turn to do so today."

"_Awww mannnnn_." Noelle whined at the thought. "It would be so much more fun if you and big brother can go shopping with me! You two can go on a date!"

Charlotte visibly sputtered and Noelle watched in hidden amusement as the face of her older sister figure turned redder than a tomato. Teasing big sis Charlotte is always so much fun!

"How did you even know about dating? What kind of books have you been reading?" Her brother pulled on her ear as he chided her. "If it is those crappy romance novels, I am going to burn them the moment we get back. You are still too young to be reading those."

"B-Big brother! They are not crappy novels!"

"So you _do_ have those. I am going to burn them down later."

"Big brother! These books are not mine! They belong to big sis! You cannot just burn them!"

She counted the pause her brother took as a win. She mentally thanked whatever deities up there that she has a ready-made excuse in the form of her big sis Charlotte.

"Big sis has the best books! You should try reading them!"

"N-Noelle had said that it can be a little boring at home, so I told her she can read the books I kept on the bookshelf in my room."

Noelle did a mental cheer in her head. _Big_ _sis Charlotte! You are a godsend_! Also, her big sis didn't stammer that much anymore in her brother's presence. Guess all the time she spent in secret teaching her big sis about her brother's likes, dislikes, and quirks had finally paid off! Now all she needs is a little nudge here and a little push there for her big sis Charlotte to really be her big sis! There's no way her stoic brother did not pick up on big sis Charlotte's feelings for him, right? If even a six-year-old like her can spot it, surely her brother did?

If her big sis Charlotte can really be her big sis, then life will be perfect.

The look on her brother's face told her that he didn't quite buy the flimsy explanation, but he did not press the issue any further.

"Big sis Charlotte! Go shopping with us! _Pleeeeeassee_?"

"I am on duty, Noelle."

"_Pleeeeeassseeeee_?'

"Don't put Charlotte in a difficult spot." Her brother put her whining to a stop when he flicked her forehead with a finger.

"But big brother! It's been a long time since I spent any time with both you and big sis Charlotte!"

"I guess a short while wouldn't hurt." Charlotte quickly added although there's no hiding the faint blush on her cheeks as her eyes determinedly looked anywhere but at her brother's face. Awww, a shy big sis Charlotte is just _soooo cuuuuuutteee_!

In the end, that day turned out to be the best day for her as she held her brother's hand with her right and big sis Charlotte's with her left, pulling them along from stall to stall in the busy bazaar as they let her have her fun.

She used to only have the best brother ever, but now she has the best older sister too.

Life is perfect.


	7. Chapter 7- Hage Village

"Oi, siscon! Can you go any faster?!"

"This is already the fastest I can go. Shut up so that I can concentrate, Yami."

Yami clicked his tongue as he crossed his arms and waited impatiently for the siscon to transport them to the location they are supposed to be at. An emergency report had come in from the Forsaken Realm that the villages there are currently under attack from Diamond Kingdom's Mage Warriors. Almost every squad had been mobilised and many teams were sent separately to these locations as fast as possible. Yami, the prickly queen, and the siscon are sent to deal with the invaders near the north as an elite task force.

The reason for this arrangement is simple. They are currently some of the strongest Magic Knights bar the Captains themselves. Nozel's mercury constructs can quickly transport a small group of Magic Knights, allowing them to be there on the scene faster than many other teams. Other teams are also on the way but most of them had been flung far behind a long time ago due to the speed in which Nozel is ferrying them across Clover.

Yami took a quick glance to his right. The princess tsun-tsun is pretty silent today but there is no mistaking the look of fury in her eyes. Well, he is a little fired up as well. The four Kingdoms are never exactly on good terms with each other so having little scuffles here and there along the borders or within the neutral zone is commonplace, but committing such a blatant attack on such a scale is a first in a long while.

"Look sharp, we are close."

Nozel's words got them both to straighten their backs immediately. Their grimoires are already out, magic pulsing beneath their skin. They soon entered the airspace of the battlefield. Existing Magic Knights that were originally stationed here are currently frantically defending themselves from Diamond's Mage Warriors. They are obviously severely outnumbered and already, corpses have littered the small village below them. Just the sight of it alone is enough to get Yami enraged.

"Our priority is to save and protect lives. I will provide air support from above."

"Leave the village's protection to me. My magic is suited for it." Charlotte spoke up.

"Then that leaves me to deal with those riff-raffs." Yami said with a growl, sword already drawn.

"Good. Then let's go."

As one, they unanimously leapt into action. Yami jumped off the mercury eagle they were riding on and landed within the backlines of the Mage Warriors with a huge crash.

"Hey, mind if I join in the party?"

With a horizontal slash of his blade, several of Diamond's Mage Warriors got horizontally bisected into two from that surprise attack. Yami pressed on the attack, drawing all aggro towards himself. Somewhere far ahead nearer to the village, he can see walls of thick briars growing taller and taller until they block the entrance to the village entirely, preventing any of these Diamond bastards from going too close.

Another quick slash got rid of a few more pesky Mage Warriors. What's troublesome are those mages who hid behind their comrades and fired their spells at him from afar. He's not totally helpless against opponents who specialises in long-range spells but it is getting damn annoying.

His annoyance was taken care of when droplets of mercury rained down from above, swiftly taking out any mages that were giving him a hard time. Yami grinned. The siscon sure has some nice timing.

_Dark Cloaked Avidya Wild Slash_

Yami released a flurry of wild slashes coated with Dark Magic, easily cutting his way through. Anyone that Yami could not reach with his blade, Nozel's Mercury Magic will find a way to snipe them down from above.

"Above! Take out the guy flying above!"

A barrage of spells were fired at Nozel. Nozel easily weaved through the attacks and kept up the pressure, allowing Yami to fight below with relative ease.

Large thorny briars broke through from the ground below, snaring each of the Mage Warriors with pinpoint accuracy and allowing Yami and Nozel to cut their enemies down. Things were looking good until a huge blast of flames forced them all to scatter. Yami clicked his tongue in annoyance. The type of magic in which siscon and the tsundere princess use have one common weakness: Fire.

The fire continued to rage and burn, easily freeing the Mage Warriors in which Charlotte had captured by burning the briars off. Any mercury constructs that got too close to the flames got evaporated in an instant due to mercury's low boiling point. The flames got even bigger and Yami had to use a Dark Cloaked Dimension Slash to disperse the flames and to see just _who the hell_ started an inferno out of nowhere.

Unfortunately, the swarm of Mage Warriors in which the fire had freed are now charging at him as one. There's another mage who is currently fighting the tsundere princess and her hands are full, so she cannot be here to help him. That leaves him to deal with the small army on his own. He doesn't have the time to deal with the Fire Mage.

A blast of fire rocketed up into the air and began to chase after Nozel. Yami can faintly see a figure within those flames, so that means that the Fire Mage had taken the easy way out and chosen to fight Nozel due to the apparent weakness of Nozel's magic towards heat. Yami focused on the task at hand and quickened his pace. Ideally, he should be the one facing the Fire mage because Nozel and Charlotte's magics are weak against fire.

Then again, such is the battlefield. People rarely play fair. Charlotte seems to be doing fine on her own. The only thing he can do now is to hurry and finish these mages off and then go assist the siscon.

* * *

_Exhilarating! SO EXHILARATING!_ So this is what it means to have power! _ABSOLUTE POWER!_

Having mage stones implanted in his body is _awesome!_

Tyson kept up with his bombardment of fire spells. If he can prove himself as the strongest, then he can possibly get himself promoted as one of the Eight Shining Generals. Killing all of Clover's Magic Knights that he comes across sounds like a damn good way to start.

The Clover Knight that he is currently facing in battle seems to be skilled. Despite the glaring weakness of his Mercury Magic against his Fire Magic, he is still alive. Tyson let out a grin and increased the output of his flames, setting the skies ablaze. In front of his Fire Magic and the augmentation done on him by their Kingdom's Mage Scholars, the Clover Knight's Mercury Magic cannot do a single thing.

"Not bad, silver bastard! What's yer name?" Tyson yelled out, curious as to know who this adversary is. The Clover Knight maintained a stoic and calm expression, only giving him an uninterested glance.

"Name's Tyson!" Tyson shouted as he kept up his bombardment of spells while trying to goad a response out of the Magic Knight from Clover. The augmentation conducted on him allows him to keep firing his spells without much consideration of the mana needed to do so because the mage stones embedded in him allows him to recover mana extremely quickly. If the Clover Knight is planning to wait for him to exhaust himself, then he is in for a nasty surprise.

"I don't care who you are." The silver-haired knight responded as he suddenly decided to charge straight towards him. Tyson grinned. Had this Clover Knight gone _senile?_ This is asking for a death sentence!

With a roar, Tyson unleashed his greatest and most destructive spell at the Clover Knight flying straight for him. The mass of flames he sent towards the Clover Knight is enough to obliterate everything in its path. This is goodbye to the Clover Knight.

To his surprise, the Clover Knight had somehow braved through the flames and got close enough to be within reach. The Clover Knight pulled out a dagger strapped to his thigh and lunged at him. Tyson didn't even have time to call upon his magic and could only use his arms to block that blow. He wasn't entirely successful in blocking it because his left shoulder had been stabbed.

However, his injuries are light in comparison to the Clover Knight. In that one moment where the Clover Knight had tried to stab him, his flames had roared to life around his right fist. With one punch, Tyson successfully dealt a huge blow near the abdomen of the silver-haired knight. If it wasn't for the Clover Knight's Mercury magic forming a shield to mitigate most of the damage before it was forcefully evaporated, the knight would have been dead.

Tyson was about to unleash another flaming punch to end this Magic Knight for good when a sharp flash of pain throbbed across the entirety of his right arm. He began to scream and could only watch as something within his arm bulged to disproportionate levels and exploded his entire right arm from within, cripping him in just one move.

"Fuck! FUCK FUCK **FUCK!**"

Tyson immediately used his flames to propel him away from the Clover Knight as his left hand that was burning with fire went to try and cauterise the wound of what remains of his right arm. He doesn't know what the Clover Knight just did but his eyes managed to spot that the dagger that the knight is still holding onto. Only the hilt is left, the blade is gone entirely.

_Where did it go?_

As if sensing his thoughts, the Clover Knight held up the hilt in front of his face.

"You are a competent Fire Mage but too bad for you, my rival is Fuegoleon and he is way better. The blade of the dagger is largely constructed using solid mercury through a special process. Figure out the rest yourself."

Tyson didn't have the chance to think. The next thing he knew, he was screaming in pain as his body began to implode from within.

_B-Bastard! He's somehow controlling the liquid mercury mixed into his bloodstream and using them to tear his entire body apart from within!_

"FUCK YOU!" Tyson screamed as he prepared to use his biggest spell. If he's going to die, then he will take this bastard down with him.

The Clover Knight merely gave him the same disinterested stare, as if he's not worth his time.

"Goodbye."

That last fire spell was never fired.

* * *

"Freaking. Persistent. _Bastards!_"

With one last yell, Yami managed to end the last of the Mage Warriors he was battling against. The group he was fighting are not that strong individually, but it sure is annoying to face them all together.

Right after he put down the last of his opponent, he saw a gigantic spiky spear made up of a large mass of briars taking out another Mage Warrior. He looked back up at the sky where the siscon was supposedly fighting the Fire Mage, and it was just in time when he saw the Fire Mage explode into a bloody mess, causing body parts to rain down onto the ground messily. It is a gory sight.

God damn, _what _did the siscon do? Whatever that was, it was fucking brutal.

Nozel floated back down onto the ground beside him. The exhaustion is clear. Yami had never seen a speck of dust on the siscon no matter where he is but right now, the siscon had soot and whatnot covering his entire body. His sleeves had been partially burnt off and some part of his skin had suffered light burns.

What is most eye catching is the bloody gash on the left side of his abdomen. Nozel is using a hand to press against it and apply some pressure to stem the bleeding, but the growing patch of red on his usually pristine uniform is glaringly obvious.

"Nozel! Your-"

"It's not life-threatening, I will be fine. More importantly, what about the village?" Nozel quickly replied when Charlotte came running up to him in concern. Yami didn't know whether he should just quietly slink away to give them some private time or to cut in.

"No one else died the moment we arrived." Charlotte replied just as quickly, obviously more concerned about Nozel's injury. It's obvious at a glance that the injury must be painful and the bleeding still has not stopped.

"Let's just go to the village." Yami cut in. "Maybe there will be someone over there who can help stop the bleeding."

The three of them quickly made their way into the village with Yami and Charlotte casting worried looks at Nozel every now and then. If Nozel noticed it, he didn't say a thing. The surviving Magic Knights that were stationed nearby and were the first group to come into contact with the Diamond Kingdom Mage Warriors are all here as well. Some suffered serious injuries, others got out relatively unscathed.

"I got everyone into the village with my magic before the big battle began." Charlotte quickly explained to the both of them before asking the Magic Knights around them. "This is Third Class Senior Magic Knight, Charlotte Roselei of the Blue Rose. Who is the commanding officer here?"

"Second Class Intermediate Magic Knight, Hartley Tasker of the Green Mantis, reporting in." A middle-aged man stood out and saluted Charlotte in response. "Thank you for coming to save us, ma'am."

"No worries. We need to take care of the wounded and fortify the village's defences in case of a second attack. How many of your men can still fight?"

"Seven, ma'am."

Not a lot, but better than nothing.

Yami watched as Charlotte took charge of the situation. Well, if she can handle it then he is more than happy to just kick back and relax. He gently nudged the siscon beside him with an elbow.

"What the hell did you do to the fire dude?"

In response, the stoic siscon merely held up a bladeless dagger. Only the hilt is left.

"This is a special dagger. Mercury has a low boiling point and is usually in liquid form under room temperature, but I had found out during my youth that it is indeed possible to construct a solid mercury object if the object was subjected through a special magical process during the crafting stage. This dagger was made using such a process. Since its blade was largely made up of mercury, it evaporates easily under extreme heat. With the heat that guy kept giving off, the solid mercury blade easily melted and mixed itself into his bloodstream after I stabbed him with it. Solid, liquid, or gas, it doesn't matter. I can control mercury no matter what form it takes. Once I could get the mercury within the fire guy the battle was over."

Yami gave a low whistle, impressed at the brutality and ingenuity of it all.

"Remind me to not get on your bad side."

"You already are."

"Well, damn."

* * *

If it wasn't for her forcibly dragging Nozel to at least get his wound checked and bandaged she is sure that he would still be out there trying to do something to help defend the village until reinforcements arrive to take over the job. She had to drag the man to a church where the villagers said a nun who is capable of using a healing spell is at. Said nun is currently tending to the wounded who had it the worst with help from the other villagers.

"Charlotte, I can walk on my-"

"No. Not in your current state."

She firmly denied him the chance to even try and talk his way out. The red patch on his shirt is still growing bigger and his face is getting a little pale, probably due to the loss of blood. There's no way he can continue to help guard the village in this state.

Apparently, the nun that was tending to the wounded had the same thoughts as well the moment Charlotte dragged Nozel into the church to get his wounds treated.

"Oh dear! Why didn't you come here sooner?! Look at all the blood!" The nun immediately fussed over the silver-haired man the moment she spotted him.

"It's-"

"_Not_ fine." Charlotte emphasised. Nozel was about to say something but wisely chose to say nothing the moment he spotted the glare she was sending his way.

Nozel pulled up his bloodied shirt a little to reveal the wound. The nun opened her grimoire and began to cast a form of healing magic over the wound and the wound began to close itself. Charlotte idly noted that the healing spell is water-based.

"There, the wound is closed although it seems it will leave a little scar. I will look through Father Orsi's wardrobe and see if he has an extra shirt to spare. You can't possibly go around walking about in this bloodied shirt, you will scare the children here."

"Sorry to trouble you." Nozel said with a slight bow of his head.

"It's fine. It's you Magic Knights that we have to thank. If it wasn't for your swift arrival I don't know what would happen to Hage."

That seemed to make Nozel perk up in surprise.

"Hage? This is Hage Village?"

"Yes, this is Hage Village." The nun replied patiently with a curious tilt of her head. "You have heard of this place before?"

"During my travels before I became a Magic Knight. Heard that there was a huge demon skeleton somewhere near here but I never got a chance to visit it."

"Oh, you can easily see it from the west side of the village. There's nothing much to see other than the huge bones and a statue on it."

"I see. Thank you for the information." Nozel thanked the nun politely as she passed a spare shirt to Nozel in the meantime.

"Don't mention it. Thank you for protecting us!"

"Is the huge demon skeleton anything important?" Charlotte asked Nozel the moment they were out of the church and out of earshot.

"I had heard that it was where the first Magic Emperor had done battle with a demon. I just don't know how true that was, so I was curious." Nozel explained. "Huh, to think this is Hage Village. What a coincidence."

"S-Should we go visit the skeleton before our duties here are finished?" Charlotte asked hopefully. It's not everyday that they are both assigned to the same mission and have some time off and are able to spend some time alone together and-

"Sure. Let's." A small smile appeared on Nozel's face as he gave his reply.

She smiled back. Maybe this mission isn't so bad after all.

* * *

"Magic Knights, guys! _Real _Magic Knights!"

"Um, are you sure we should be here?"

"Yea, most of these Magic Knights are entitled royals or nobles. From what I heard, their favourite pastime is to bully us commoners."

"Sister Lily said that the silver guy with the weird braid and blonde lady with the helmet are okay though." Asta said excitedly. "Come on, let's go see them! It's not everyday we get to see Magic Knights in person!"

"A-Asta, I still don't think-"

"The silver guy and the blonde lady are over there. Let's go." Yuno cut the conversation short as he walked on ahead, leaving the rest behind.

"Yuno! Not you too!"

Despite Recca's cry, the four of them still ran to catch up to Yuno nevertheless. They are indeed curious as to what real Magic Knights are really about. They heard the conversation between the two Magic Knights when they got closer.

"-gic Emperor is up there. See? Right on top of the demon's skull."

"So that's how the First Magic Emperor looks like. I have to say, Nozel, if it wasn't for you I wouldn't even know our First Magic Emperor had achieved such a feat before."

"I only happened to come across this tale by chance during my travels. I've always wanted to come over and visit the site of the legendary battle, but there was no opportunity to do so until now."

Asta threw all sense of subtlety out of his mind the moment he heard the three magical words.

"Oh! So the funny statue over there is the _First Magic Emperor?!_"

Everybody flinched at the volume and even Yuno's face paled when Asta suddenly ran up ahead screaming in his usual loud voice. The initial plan was to leave a good impression on the Magic Knights so that they would be more willing to share with them what being a Magic Knight is all about, not running in there and screaming rudely at the top of their lungs! What if they accidentally offend the Magic Knights?!

"_Asta!_" Nash quickly pulled Asta back by the collar, forcing the rash foster brother of his to come to an abrupt stop. "You don't just run in there screaming! What did Sister Lily and Father Orsi tell you all the time about greeting people properly?! Don't be rude and for the love of God, _STOP SHOUTING!"_

"YOU ARE SHOUTING TOO!"

"IF IT WASN'T FOR **_YOU _**WOULD **_I _**BE SHOUTING?!"

"On behalf of my siblings, I apologize for the rude display. They are simply excited at seeing a real Magic Knight in person." Yuno, ever the polite and level-headed one among the six of them, forcefully pressed Asta's and Nash's head down in a bow while bowing his head as well. Recca, Aruru, and Hollo quickly followed Yuno's example.

"It's fine." The lady replied with a laugh with a hand over her mouth. "We were once in your shoes after all. Isn't that right, Nozel?"

"Hmm."

"You can afford to speak a few more words, you know?" Charlotte chastised before lowering herself a little to talk to the children. "Hello, my name is Charlotte Roselei. I am from the Blue Rose Squad. He is Nozel from the Grey Deer Squad."

"SO COOL!" Asta exclaimed with literal stars shining in his eyes.

"I'm not sure about the cool part, but I sure hope we live up to your expectations." Charlotte replied with another warm laugh. "Do any of you aspire to be Magic Knights in the future?"

"This idiot definitely wants to be one." Nash said as he lightly bonked Asta on the back of his head before jabbing a thumb at Yuno. "And Yuno too."

"Can I join your squads too when I become a Magic Knight?! Please? Please please please-"

"I'm afraid my squad is largely made up of women, we very rarely have men in there." Charlotte patiently replied to Asta's every question. "But you can try applying to join Nozel's squad if you ever caught the eye of whoever will be the Captain of the Grey Deer squad during the Magic Knights Entrance Exam. Or whatever squad that you wish to join the most. The more capable you prove yourself to be during the exams, the more offers you will get from the Captains, so if you really do aspire to be a Magic Knight be sure to train really hard for it!"

"Hey, hey, pretty sis! Are you a Captain?" Hollo asked excitedly. The other children are still a little stiff in their presence but the curiosity in their eyes are blatantly obvious.

Surprisingly, Nozel was the one who answered the question for her.

"Not now, but she definitely will be one in the future."

"N-Nozel! There's no-"

"If even someone as capable as you is not worthy enough to be Captain I would strip off my squad's crest." Nozel replied with a soft snort before his gaze focused on the two children aspiring to be future Magic Knights. "So, Asta and Yuno, correct?"

"YES!"

Nozel remained silent for a little while, which began to unsettle the kids a little with how sharp the look in his eyes are, almost like an eagle on a hunt. Just when Charlotte is about to berate him for scaring the children, Nozel spoke up once again.

"I do feel a considerable amount of magic power emanating from Yuno, but Asta… you really have no mana in your body, do you? I could not register your presence using mana sensory even if you are currently standing a few feet away from me."

"That… That doesn't matter!" Asta replied with determination, hearing those words too many times for him to count ever since he could understand words. "I will still be a Magic Knight, and then I will be the strongest Magic Emperor ever!"

Charlotte's face could not help but frown a little in worry. It's good to have a dream, but dreaming an impossible dream may prove to be detrimental instead. Nozel was right, now that he said it she really could not feel an ounce of mana from Asta no matter how she tried and the boy is simply standing a few feet away from her right now. She doesn't want to be the one to ruthlessly burst Asta's bubble but someone has to do it for his own good, before the pain and suffering grows larger when the bubble inevitably bursts much later on in his life when the cold hard truth finally comes crashing down on him. The boy has to accept the facts as they are, there is a reason why they are called _Magic _Knights. You _need _to be able to use magic to be a Magic Knight.

Nozel, however, obviously has a different opinion.

"Even when you cannot use magic, you still want to be a Magic Knight?"

"YEAH! And not just that! I will be the Magic Emperor!"

"Why?"

"Because I want to prove that even commoners can be a Magic Knight, and even they can be the Magic Emperor! The Magic Emperor is the strongest, right? Hage is not a safe place, but if I'm the strongest then I can easily protect Sister Lily, Father Orsi, my siblings, and everyone else! So I will be the Magic Emperor to protect everyone!"

"A good goal to have, but that's it?"

"... There's supposed to be more?"

Nozel sighed and shook his head, but Charlotte can still spot the faint smirk on his face that probably only she and Noelle can spot.

"Fine, I'm not one to belittle another's hopes and dreams, but if you really want to be Magic Emperor you first have to be a Magic Knight, and to first be a Magic Knight you need to be able to use magic. And I don't think I need to remind you, but you cannot use magic. How do you plan to qualify and pass the Entrance Exam in your condition? How do you plan to stand as an equal to other Magic Knights with such a handicap? Answer me."

"I-I will train! Like really hard!"

"Anybody can say that, _how _do you plan on _doing _that?"

Asta opened his mouth, only for no words to come out from it. His mouth opened and closed a few times as he struggled to form a reply.

"Nozel." Charlotte said with a soft voice while subtly tugging at his shirt, a small frown visible on her face. Honestly, this may be a little too much for Asta to take in all at once. He's just a kid and from the looks of it, probably not even older than Noelle. He's still too young to understand.

Nozel acted as if he didn't notice her subtle cues.

"Having a goal is good and all, Asta, but you _need _to have a plan. A Magic Knight charging right into enemy lines without a plan is nothing but a liability to the entire squad. You will get everyone around you killed if you are being reckless. You want to be a Magic Knight even when you cannot use magic? Fine, I respect that determination of yours, but how are you going to walk the talk? You still have time before you are of age to take the Entrance Exams, use it wisely to think of how you are going to even the playing field with other people your age who not only has the same dream as you, but possess magic so powerful that it is beyond your wildest imaginations."

Nozel then lightly knocked Asta on the head like how Charlotte had seen him done so many times to Noelle whenever he was trying to drive home a point.

"You have a clear understanding on the _what _and the _why_, but you really need to start thinking of the _how _if you really want to become a Magic Knight like us, that is my advice to you. If you want to be a Magic Knight you first need to make sure you have a way to protect yourself and get past any other forms of magic thrown your way. Call me cruel, but I will tell you right here, right now, that nobody will care if you yell your aspiration to be the future Magic Emperor out loud for the whole world to hear. The Magic Knights are not an organisation to simply accept you based on empty promises. _Prove _to us through your _actions _that you _can _be a capable Magic Knight even without the ability to utilise magic."

Asta looked down, fists clenched as his body trembled slightly, only to perk up when he felt a hand on his head.

"There's no rush, just make sure you think things through. Charlotte and I will be around for a few days so if any of you need any help, feel free to approach us as long as we are not on duty. I will give you a hint. Instead of focusing on what you don't have, think of what you do have and how it could possibly help you in achieving your dream."

"You… You are saying that I can be a Magic Knight?"

"Do you hear me saying that you can't?"

Asta's face visibly brightened up in slow motion.

"THEN I WILL BE ONE!" Asta promised in his usual booming voice before adding another sentence after giving the matter some thought. "After I thought of how I can be one!"

"Don't just say it, _show _us you can _do _it." Nozel replied in his usual impassive voice. "Unlike others your age who can already use magic, you are not even on the starting line yet. You have a lot to catch up on."

Asta nodded excitedly, happy that for once, there are people who did not put him down for having such a dream.

"How strong are the both of you within the Magic Knights?" Yuno finally broke his silence and asked the million dollar question that the children are curious about.

"Hmm?" Nozel gave the matter some thought before speaking again. "By the time the current generation of Magic Knights inevitably step down when the current Magic Emperor retires, I believe Charlotte and I will be strong enough to qualify as candidates for the next generation of Captains. Which means by the time anyone of you is old enough to take part in the Entrance Exams, the both of us are very likely to be among the group of people you have to impress if you want to join the squads that we lead."

Charlotte blinked in surprise. She has no doubts Nozel can be a Captain because he is just that powerful and has all the qualities needed to be one, but her? He believes that _she _can be a Captain?

"Then just you wait!" Asta pointed a finger at the two of them. "I will be so strong that the both of you have no other choice but to offer me a position in your squads!"

The edge of Nozel's lips curled slightly into a faint smile.

"And like I said many times before, don't just say it, _prove _it."

"So if we can surpass what we saw the both of you did today in defending the village, we will be nearly strong enough to be Captain?" Yuno asked earnestly.

"That's one way of looking at it." Nozel nodded before turning to face Yuno in concern. "I have a little sister around your age too, and her huge magic reserves always give her problems. Likewise, the amount of magic I can sense within you is no small amount given your age. If your body cannot handle the sheer amount of magic you have, tell us, and we will provide you with some guidance on how to control it properly before we have to return to the capital. It's extremely rare, but there are cases of people's bodies imploding from within simply because their body could not contain the large amount of magic they possess. I don't want that to happen to any of you simply because there is no one in your village to teach you how to properly control magic."

The children all gave a collective wince at those words. Seeing that, Nozel quickly clarified.

"It's _extremely **rare**_."

The kids all gave a sigh of relief but quickly recovered. Before long, they ended up pestering the two adults again in their usual energetic selves.

"Hey, hey! You guys must have been Magic Knights for quite some time already, right? The both of you must have gone on some crazy adventures! Tell us, tell us!"

Charlotte looked at Nozel, who simply shrugged in response. She gave him another glare, hinting at him to do something about this because telling stories is certainly _not _her forte. He sighed before gesturing for the children to take a seat because this will take a while.

"Before I became a Magic Knight, I was a treasure hunter. If you are talking about adventures, the period of time when I was still a treasure hunter was the most thrilling and adventurous, travelling far and wide within and outside Clover to explore every single dungeon that I could find. There's this one dungeon that I remember…"

Together with the children, Charlotte listened with a smile on her face as Nozel recounted the adventures he had been on during his days as a treasure hunter. He had always been good with children, Noelle is proof of that.

Strong, kind, unwavering, warm. Her Knight in Silver Armour really is one of a kind, the man who she looks up to the most in this entire world.

She is sure that the children eagerly listening to his stories right now feel the same way too.


End file.
